SAN ANTONIO — The side of the road is not where you'd expect to find caskets. But an Eyewitness News viewer found a couple along Prue Road on the northwest side late Wednesday night.
Two small caskets sat alongside the busy road near Casina Spring, not far from Babcock Road where some local utility energy line work had been underway. The crews reportedly spotted the caskets and called police to investigate around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
They were found on the former location of Oak Hollow Pet Memorial Park. Emphasis on the "hollow," because, as police discovered: The boxes were empty.
The officer who responded did not find any remains, authorities said. They also looked around the area and didn't find any sign that they were dragged.
Police said no criminal actions were observed.
According to San Antonio Public Works, the area was being worked on by a contractor for a voter-approved 2017 Bond Project to improve Prue Road from Babcock to Laureate Dr.
They said the contractor was instructed to rebury the caskets win the same place, but the trench was filled without the caskets being placed in their original location.
City officials say they were aware of a long-abandoned pet cemetery at that site and that it’s likely some caskets were left behind.
In a statement, Paul Berry, chief communications officer for San Antonio Public works, told KENS 5:
"Early last week, as part of construction work by a City contractor for a voter-approved 2017 Bond Project to improve Prue Road from Babcock to Laureate Drive, a contractor digging a trench for utility lines, came across two caskets from an abandoned pet cemetery that happened to be located adjacent to the work being done on Prue Road.
"When the utility work was completed the contractor was directed to rebury the caskets where they were found. Unfortunately, the trench was filled without the caskets being placed in their original location. We have secured the location and plan to rebury the caskets in the same area where they were found."