Tombstone falls onto 6-year-old boy at Altadena cemetery

A tombstone at an Altadena cemetery toppled over and pinned a 6-year-old boy on Wednesday afternoon. 

Adonis Cordova, 6, is now walking on crutches after the scary ordeal. He said he was at the cemetery with his mom and family when he bent down to pick up his ball and the tombstone pinned him to the ground. 

"It fell on me and I felt a little scratch," he said. 

His mother Kaylyn Hampton said her son was scared when he couldn't get up. 

"He was actually pinned down, and I hear, 'Mom, I can't move.' The way he said it and the tone, I could hear the fear in him," she said. "His foot was blistered, and he was crying at the touch of it, and it was bleeding."

Donte Fox, a family friend, said he tried to lift the tombstone off the kid's ankle and arm.

The whole ordeal happened at Mountain View Cemetery, which released a statement.

"The monument has stood for approximately 100 years, and cemetery management is not aware of any prior incidents involving it," the cemetery wrote. "A full investigation is not yet complete, and the cause remains undetermined. Out of respect for the family and to ensure an accurate account, we will refrain from speculation until the circumstances are established."

Cordova's family said they alerted cemetery staff immediately, but feel that they did not understand the severity of the situation.

"I understand situations happen, but I feel like the place should have taken more accountability or offered assistance to the family," Fox said. 

Cordova's family took him to the hospital, where he had X-rays that showed nothing appeared to be broken. While her son's ankle is still swollen and he's walking with crutches, Hampton shared her concerns that the headstones aren't being maintained properly. 

"He weighs 48 pounds and had some 100 pounds fall on him," she said.