Within the last month, KSAT has reported a series of stories about a business owner accused of taking money from families but never delivering their cemetery headstones.
After two of our stories aired, SAPD arrested the business owner, Elena Moreno.
“Every family reacted and sent me messages, and there was a whole range of emotions,” KSAT reporter Courtney Friedman said.
This was a story our viewers responded strongly to, so we wanted to take you behind the scenes of an investigation that has taken place over the last five months – and will continue.
“When the stories ran, I think what shocked our newsroom was (that) I kept coming into our meeting every day where we pitch stories and I’d say, ‘I got two more victims. I got another victim,’” Friedman said. “We landed on air with 12 people, which is a lot. So the first story had six, and then the second story had six additional victims.”
This story belongs to Friedman and photojournalist Luis Cienfuegos, so we asked them some questions for you.
“We put a lot of heart into it, and we care about the community. And we wouldn’t want something like this to happen to any of our loved ones.”
