90-year-old resident found dead inside retirement home’s van, Arizona cops say

Kylie Bearse said her grandma went to visit her husband of 67 years at an Arizona retirement home on Thursday but he wasn’t there.

Lawrence Bearse, 90, had gone to a doctor’s appointment Wednesday, but after returning he was left in the transport van outside Canyon Winds Assisted Living and Memory Care community in Mesa.

He was found dead inside the vehicle the next morning, AZ Family reported.

“This is horrific, and it shouldn’t have happened,” Kylie said, according to the publication. “We called him ‘Grandpy’ and he was the greatest family man you could ever ask for.”’

Mesa’s high temperature was 107 degrees Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. In hot weather, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach 125 degrees or more in just minutes, according to kidsandcars.org.

Mesa police said that Bearse was found by a Canyon Winds staff member, who flagged down police at around 11:15 a.m., Detective Steve Berry said, according to AZCentral.

The Canyon Winds Retirement Community offers assisted and independent living residences and a center for people with Alzheimer’s and memory loss, the publication reported.

Authorities said they are investigating the death and a police department spokesperson told 12 News that “it was too early” to talk about possibly filing criminal charges.

McClatchy News’ request for comment from Canyon Winds wasn’t immediately returned.

This story was originally published July 23, 2021 at 10:51 AM with the headline "90-year-old resident found dead inside retirement home’s van, Arizona cops say."