An elderly man with dementia was reportedly discovered dead in the Arizona desert, and it turns out that a care home could be responsible for allowing him out there.
It’s just…awful.
At a glance:
- A 70-year-old man with dementia, Miguel Moreno, was found dead in the Arizona desert after escaping from his retirement home twice within days of moving in.
- Moreno’s family is suing the retirement facility, Park Senior Villas, for negligence in failing to secure the premises properly.
- The facility was fined $500 after the Arizona Department of Health Services determined that an open gate posed a safety threat to vulnerable residents.
The family of Miguel Moreno, a 70-year-old man with dementia, is suing a Tucson retirement home after he was found dead in the Arizona desert just days after moving into the facility. Moreno had been placed in Park Senior Villas at La Canada, a retirement home that offered specialized care for patients with dementia. Unfortunately, within two days of moving in, Moreno managed to wander off the property twice, with the second escape ending in tragedy.
According to the family’s lawsuit, on August 2, 2023, Moreno first wandered away from the retirement facility by overcoming a drop bolt on the gate. Although a staff member noticed his disappearance and brought him back safely, the facility did not adequately prevent a second incident. On August 5, Moreno left the facility again without being noticed by staff, which led to a search effort by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, his daughters, and other families.
That day, temperatures in the Tucson area reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit, making the search conditions particularly difficult. Although a helicopter was deployed despite the high temperatures, Moreno’s body was ultimately found just 250 yards from the retirement home, exposed in the desert heat. According to his daughter, Mina Hernandez, he was discovered lying in a wash, with no shade to protect him.
The investigation revealed that a landscaping crew had left the gate open on the day of Moreno’s disappearance, which allowed him to walk off the premises. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office determined that the landscapers were not even supposed to be working on the day of the incident, as they were scheduled to work Wednesdays, not Saturdays.
Following the tragic incident, the Arizona Department of Health Services fined the facility $500, stating that the failure to secure the gate created an unsafe environment for vulnerable residents. Despite this penalty, Moreno’s family is pursuing legal action against Park Senior Villas, claiming the facility’s negligence directly led to his death.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety and care standards in retirement homes, particularly for individuals with dementia, and has prompted calls for more stringent oversight of such facilities to prevent future tragedies.
