Guatemala authorities investigate teen who awoke during her funeral

Guatemalan authorities have launched an investigation into a case involving 15-year-old Yuleidy Ixcotoyac, who regained consciousness inside her coffin during her own funeral service in Sacapulas, Quiché.

The incident began when her father, an evangelical pastor named Abraham Ixcotoyac, believed his daughter had died while they were en route to a medical center. Instead of continuing to the hospital, he returned home and arranged for a funeral, despite lacking a formal death certificate. During the wake, the teenager began moving inside the casket, a moment captured on video that went viral globally.

The Ministerio Público and the Procuraduría General de la Nación are investigating whether the family’s actions constitute negligence or the simulation of a death. Authorities noted that the girl was never taken to a morgue or evaluated by medical professionals to certify her passing. While the father maintains the event was a divine intervention, investigators are looking for inconsistencies in testimonies and evaluating potential criminal charges, which could include up to five years in prison for simulating facts.