An evangelical pastor could face five years in prison over the alleged staging of his 15-year-old daughter’s death.
She was declared dead and placed in a coffin – only to sit up alive hours later.
Abraham Ixcotoyac is under investigation in Guatemala after his daughter Yuleidy was found alive in a coffin during her own wake earlier this month.
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The schoolgirl had lost consciousness while her father was driving her to a medical centre in the early hours of 10 October.
Abraham, who believed she had died after finding no signs of breathing or a pulse, took her home in a coffin instead of seeking medical assistance.
The family began preparing for her funeral, but around eight hours later, Yuleidy reportedly began moving inside the coffin before opening her eyes and sitting upright.
Her mother, Lesvia Ríos, had noticed movement while leaning over the coffin in tears.
She previously told local media: “I kept saying she was alive; she wasn’t dead.
“When I was crying on top of her casket, we opened the window, and she was moving, she was waking up, and suddenly she sat up.”
The extraordinary moment was filmed and quickly went viral on social media, as reported by Need To Know.
Yuleidy later described how she had felt before losing consciousness.
“My heart started hurting really badly; it felt heavy, and then I blacked out, as I fainted,” she said.
She also described her survival as a miracle.
Now, Guatemala’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Sacapulas Municipal Prosecutor’s Office is working with regional prosecutors to establish why the teenager was declared dead without medical certification and whether any criminal wrongdoing or negligence occurred.
According to international media reports, investigators are examining whether the incident involved the simulation of a crime, gross negligence or other irregularities.
The National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) confirmed that Yuleidy had not been taken to a morgue and that no official death certificate had been issued.
Authorities are also investigating whether medical and health protocols were breached and whether anyone involved could face legal consequences.
Abraham could face up to five years behind bars if he is found criminally responsible.
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