ROHNERT PARK -- Six decomposing bodies were removed Saturday from a storage facility used by the Abby Chapel of the Redwoods after state inspectors determined the cooling system was adequate for the storage of only three cadavers, the state's Cemetery and Funeral Bureau said Tuesday.

Bureau spokesman Kevin Flanagan said a bureau field representative visited the storage facility on State Farm Drive in Rohnert Park Friday because neighbors complained about a "terrible smell."

There were nine bodies in the facility with a refrigeration system that had a capacity to preserve only three, Flanagan said, and six of the bodies awaiting internment or creation were taken to another mortuary.

The storage facility is located in a strip mall in an industrial area, Flanagan said. The bureau spent Monday and today contacting the families of the deceased about making other arrangements, Flanagan said.

Abby Chapel of the Redwood's office is located on Commerce Boulevard in Rohnert Park. Flanagan said the mortuary could have its license revoked after a hearing before an administrative judge.

The mortuary's owner, Anthony Villeggiante, said the storage facility was cooled by a commercial refrigeration unit and that it is common practice to store as many as eight or nine cadavers at a time.

Villeggiante also said he passed an inspection by the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau on Feb. 15.

"It's a lot of to do about nothing," he said.