The family of a 74-year-old woman who died of a heart attack earlier this month is blaming a California hospital's fawning attention to a flu-stricken Michael Jackson for her death.

Manuela Gomez Ruiz was being treated for a massive heart attack at the Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria on Feb. 15 when hospital personnel wheeled her out of the primary trauma room, gave the room to Jackson and brought her to a smaller room, her family told ABC News.

Ruiz suffered two more heart attacks following the move and died later that day.

Maria Elena Ortiz, Ruiz's daughter, said she was with her mother when Jacko arrived and that she objected to Ruiz being moved for the embattled King of Pop.

"Why does she have to be moved if he's coming in for a stomach flu?" Ortiz told ABC. "I said, 'My mother just had a heart attack and I think it's more critical than a stomach flu.' They didn't say anything."

Jackson's hospital stay delayed his molestation trial for about a week.

When Ruiz was moved, she was taken off a machine ventilator and her breathing was assisted manually by a hand pump until she arrived at the smaller room, the family claims.

Family lawyer James McKiernan said Jackson hijacked one critical trauma room and then his security detail took the paper towels from the bathroom and taped them to the windows, obscuring the view of the room.

He said moving Ruiz was a frantic scene.

"In the process of moving her, one of the nurses could be heard saying, 'Slow down. I can't keep up with you,' " he said.

Jackson, 46, told emergency-room staff he had severe abdominal pains, according to hospital records.

Jacko's body temperature of 96.9 was below normal and the initial emergency report said he could head home anytime.

Ruiz's family members said they were told her heart was functioning at 30 percent and other organs were failing. They allege the chaos caused by Jackson's arrival distracted staff and robbed them of precious time with her.

They are considering suing the Gloved One and Marian Medical Center.

Ruiz was a mother of eight, grandmother of 24 and great-grandmother of 26. Records show she filed for bankruptcy in 2003. And the family told ABC they had to take out a loan to pay Ruiz's funeral bills.

A grandson of the dead woman, Marcos Meraz, a 30-year-old mechanic, said his primary beef is with the hospital, not Jackson.

"I have nothing against him — not yet," he said. "Hospital officials put a priority on Michael Jackson, who was not so critical, over someone who was critical. We want to know how this happened." The hospital expressed its "deepest sympathy" to Ruiz's family.

In a statement, hospital officials said patient privacy laws preclude them from commenting on an individual patient's care, but "we are confident, however, that our patients have and continue to receive high-quality, compassionate and timely care."

Jackson publicist Raymone Bain said the star sends Ruiz's family his condolences but blasted the ABC report.

"It is outrageous that Michael Jackson's name would be invoked into a situation of which he had no authority or control. He was a patient himself," she said.

Jackson is accused of molesting a 13-year-old former cancer patient at his Neverland ranch, plying him with alcohol, and conspiring to hold him and his family captive. Opening statements in his trial are scheduled to begin Monday.