Lawsuit claims remains were removed for Jamul Band casino


Artist's rendering of the Hollywood Casino Jamul, a project of the Jamul Indian Village and Penn National Gaming.

Two descendants of the Jamul Indian Village in California say the graves of their family members were removed for a $360 million casino project.

Walter Rosales and Karen Toggery, however, are not suing the tribe. They are suing Caltrans, a state agency, because they say the remains were dumped on state land.

Rosales and Toggery are Kumeyaay Indians but they are not enrolled in the tribe. Their homes on the reservation were demolished in March 2007 to make way for the casino.

The pair previously sued the federal government in hopes of stopping the project. A federal judge dismissed their case in November 2007, saying the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act did not apply.

Get the Story:
Lawsuit: Casino Built on Native American Burial Ground (NBC San Diego 4/15)
Relatives say bodies were exhumed during excavation for Jamul casino (10 News 4/15)
Native Americans Sue, Say Loved Ones Were Exhumed During Jumul Casino Dig (The Times of San Diego 4/15)

Related Stories
Raymond Hunter: Casino means self-sufficiency for Jamul Band (03/10)

Join the Conversation