Oct 15, 2008 10:57 am US/Pacific
Cops: Pair Cremate Calif. Grandma On BBQ, Cash In
CORNING, Calif. (CBS/AP) ―
Authorities said relatives of a deceased Tehama County woman cremated her remains on a makeshift barbecue and continued collecting her retirement checks.
Ramona Allmond's daughter and grandson were arrested Sunday on suspicion of embezzlement, elder abuse and other charges.
Tehama sheriff's Capt. Paul Hosler said the 84-year-old Allmond likely had died of natural causes. He said her daughter, 50-year-old Kathleen Allmond, and her grandson, 30-year-old Tony Ray, left the body on her bedroom floor for a week before cremating the remains in their backyard fire pit.
Detectives say the daughter also fashioned a two-inch piece of her mother's skull into a necklace.
They said they kept collecting her monthly retirement checks amounting to more than $25,000 since she died in December.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
