DENVER — A man faces a charge of second-degree murder after the death on Saturday of a man with intellectual development disabilities who was under his care, according to a probable cause (PC) statement from the Denver Police Department (DPD).
Ben Garbooshian, 39, was arrested after officers and firefighters responded to a call about 2 p.m. Saturday at his house in the 3200 block of South Utica Street for a report of an injured man, the PC statement says.
Inside the home, firefighters and paramedics found the unresponsive victim on the floor, and they noticed a possible head injury, the PC statement says.
The victim, identified by the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner as 29-year-old Daniel Lidvall, was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 5:29 p.m., the PC statement says.
The death was ruled homicide due to blunt force injuries, according to the office of the medical examiner.
A witness reported that the Garbooshians are host-home providers who get government funds for allowing individuals with intellectual development disabilities to stay at their residence and providing them care, according to the PC statement.
The witness said Lidvall was a line of sight client, meaning he required constant visual supervision, the PC statement says.
The witness reported that Lidvall was agitated on the day of his death and used a beanbag chair to block the basement door at the top of the steps, where Garbooshian and the witness were, the PC statement says.
The witness said that Garbooshian went upstairs to talk to the victim and pushed the beanbag chair, which was in the Lidvall's hands, knocking Lidvall backward about five feet, according to the PC statement.
The witness said Lidvall hit his head on a living room couch and the floor, and then 911 was called, the PC statement says.
When asked to provide a statement, Garbooshian declined and requested an attorney, according to the PC statement.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers works by assigning a code to people who anonymously submit a tip. Information is shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers is notified at the conclusion of the investigation.
From there, an awards committee reviews the information provided and, if the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified. Rewards can be collected using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted.
> More information about Metro Denver Crime Stoppers can be found here.
> Additional Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here.
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