PHOENIX (AP) - A state grand jury has indicted a Phoenix caregiver who is accused of second-degree murder and vulnerable adult abuse.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said 52-year-old Valer Catuna is accused of assaulting William Griswold, who was a patient of the Artemis Adult Care Home that Catuna owns.
Prosecutors said the alleged assault occurred on the morning of Oct. 21, 2020, and the 53-year-old Griswold died that evening from his injuries.
Investigators initially said there were no signs of foul play and Griswold’s death was a “medical event.”
But the Maricopa County Medical Examiner later performed an autopsy and ruled the death a homicide from blunt forced injuries.
Court records show Griswold wound up at Artemis Adult Care Home after an accident left him brain damaged.
It was unclear Thursday if Catuna has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf about the case.
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