A mother says a funeral home publicly promised to bury her 5-year-old for free, then billed her family nearly $10,000

A Houston mother says a funeral home offered to bury her 5-year-old daughter at no cost, then sent her family a bill of nearly $10,000, according to KHOU. Monica Hicks and several community activists spoke out Thursday against Pruitt’s Funeral Home in the Heights, which denies doing anything wrong.

Zah’Layah Walton was fatally shot Saturday while riding in her family’s car. Authorities accuse Jeremy Porter of firing into the vehicle without provocation, and he has been charged with capital murder. Hicks says Pruitt’s picked the girl up after the medical examiner’s office released her. At a vigil held Monday, its funeral director announced that the home had offered its services for free.

“We reached out to the family and asked if we could do the services pro bono. And family we will be taking care of the arrangements at Pruitt in the Heights for baby girl Zah’layah,” the director told the crowd. The family says it agreed to let the home begin arrangements after hearing that offer.

The family says an invoice came next

They had planned to cover burial costs with crime victim assistance and money from a fundraiser, the family says. That changed when an invoice arrived. Hicks says the dispute led the family to move Zah’Layah to a different funeral home. She said, “Just because my daughter’s heart stopped beating is not me, not stop being a mother.”

Activist Candice Matthews challenged Pruitt’s about the charges. “You came to the media and stated that you were going to provide pro bono services for this family, but then you turn around and try to shake them down with a $9,000 to $10,000 invoice,” she said. The director invited the group to talk inside, but they declined.

The home maintains that the paperwork was a legal requirement. “Itemized statement. That is by law, I’m supposed to give you a funeral contract. So there was nothing done wrong. Mom did authorize us to pick up your daughter,” the home said.

Pruitt’s says it met all standards, and relatives were informed that an attorney for the home is preparing a statement. Meanwhile, the family is still raising money for the funeral and a burial plot. “She was the light of my life, which is why I’m standing here right now,” Hicks said.

Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, a funeral home must give customers a written statement right after arrangements are made. It has to list every good and service selected, the price of each and the total. Families also have the right to choose individual goods and services rather than accept a package.

In Texas, the attorney general’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Program can reimburse eligible people who pay a crime victim’s funeral and burial costs, up to $6,500. The program is a payer of last resort, so other resources such as burial insurance must be used first.