Caregivers Charged in Deadly Arvada House Fire
By Jeff Todd
ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4)- Two caregivers are being charged with felonies following a house fire that killed three people.
The fire broke out May 14, 2016 at a host home for at-risk adults. Court documents say the two staff caregivers shared a cigarette before bed, put the butt back into the cigarette pack and then put the pack in a wood table outside the front door. After hours of smoldering a fire erupted and engulfed the house.
"It's a tragedy all the way around and because of that we thought it was appropriate for a grand jury review," said First Judicial District Attorney Pete Weir.
Mary Turner and Shana Moore are being charged with four felonies for criminal negligence. The charges come from months of investigation by a Jefferson County Grand Jury.
Moore's daughter and granddaughter were staying at the house when the fire broke out; both were found dead in a bathroom.
Two at-risk adults lived at the home full time. Tanya Bell lived in the room closest to where the fire started and called 911. She was found dead in her wheel chair. Arthur Reigel survived the fire but was seriously burned and spent months recovering.
"It's also clear that the individuals now charged did the best they could after the fire broke out to try and save individuals and do the best they could to mitigate damage," said Weir.
Weir said his office brought the case to the grand jury so the community could decide if charges were necessary. Weir says the grand jury felt the caregivers should have acted more responsibly with the cigarette and made the accidental fire criminal.
"There's no question it's a tragic circumstance all the way around it's certainly tragic for the victims and it's tragic for the defendants in this case. The nature of our victims given they are at-risk adults and a child, that certainly elevates the nature of the crime. Certainly (Moore and Turner) did not expect a fire to result from their conduct but the grand jurors were looking at the conduct itself and felt there was probable cause to bring these charges."
Moore and Turner were employees of the host home, which was owned and operated by Parker Personal Care Home.
The head of the company told CBS 4 in a statement, "Parker Personal Care Homes is aware of the District Attorney's announcement regarding the indictment of two individuals in connection with last spring's tragic fire in Arvada. The loss of a client and two other persons residing in the home deeply impacts the entire Parker Personal Care Home family, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families. Parker has cooperated fully with law enforcement and all state regulatory agencies over the past several months and will continue doing so. We are committed to promoting a culture of safety."
Moore and Turner face possible sentences ranging from probation up to 14 years in prison.
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.
