Merced County man lived with dead uncle for month, spent his money
Uncle's death ignored 30 days, deputies say
 
Sheriff's deputies arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter and elder abuse who had been living in the same Merced house with his dead uncle for almost 30 days.

The bizarre case involved allegations by detectives that the nephew, Patrick Lara, 45, had turned on a swamp cooler in the back of the house because the body's smell was beginning to bother him. The room the body was in was covered with mold, and the swamp cooler leaked through the roof, causing part of the ceiling to collapse on the body.

At a Tuesday news conference, Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin described the home the two men were living in as "disgusting."
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A Merced County man was arrested Sunday after detectives accused him of living with his dead uncle for about a month and withdrawing money from the man’s bank account, using some of the funds for a trip to a casino. Patrick Lara, 45, was arrested booked on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, elder abuse and theft from elder by a caretaker, according to Merced County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Tom MacKenzie.

Added Pazin: "It was molding, the heavy rains had basically collapsed the roof into the ceiling area and it basically surrounded the decedent with ceiling particles," he said.

On Sunday just before 2 p.m., deputy Joe Mello was driving in the 2000 block of Beachwood Drive when he was flagged down. Relatives told him there was a body in a nearby trailer.

Deputies confirmed the death and started an investigation as detectives were called to the scene.

The dead man, Adrian Lugo, 63, was the uncle of Lara, his primary caregiver. Lara wasn't at the house when investigators were there, and it appeared that the Lugo had been dead for some time.

"What makes this even more despicable is a callous display of human behavior from the nephew, who was supposed to be the caregiver," Pazin said at the conference. "I just find it abhorrent that the nephew was still in the same residence as his dead uncle. That's just absolutely bizarre — it's unconscionable."
Investigators got a description of Lara and what he was driving. Later, Sgt. Steve Sziraki saw Lara's vehicle a few blocks away; it made an abrupt turn when it came into view of the house, deputy Tom MacKenzie said. Sziraki got in his patrol car, stopped the vehicle and detained Lara.

Lara told detectives that on Jan. 22 his uncle had fallen and broken his arm. Lara said he put him to bed but never called for medical help. Shortly after that, Lugo died, MacKenzie said.

After a search warrant was served, detectives found receipts in the house. Lara said he was using the victim's automated teller machine card to withdraw money from his account and had used it at Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino after his death, MacKenzie said.

Lara said he was trying to save enough money to leave and then was going to inform authorities, MacKenzie said. Relatives became suspicious when they tried to enter the house and Lara made excuses, MacKenzie said.

Elizabeth Call, who lived next to Lara and Lugo, said she got along well with them and even had a birthday party at their home.

"They're both real nice," she said. "I did not expect this at all."
Lara was jailed on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, elder-dependent abuse and theft of caretaker with elder abuse. He is being held on $175,000 bail.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/02/22/1568763/uncles-death-ignored-30-days-deputies.html#ixzz1EoTNySR8