Weirdness across the street...The nice man who lived there died

[blondeatlast]

last night of apparently natural causes, but the cops have been there all day. About an hour ago, they arrested his son who lived with him; I know he often behaved erratically and he certainly was today.

No police tape apparent and the detectives left. His wife is still there. Really nice couple; it's hard to take.

I'm trying really hard not to think what I'm thinking, but if they suspected murder, the police tape would be all over the place, right? It's just strange to have the son arrested.

[EFerrari]

1. Or, maybe he just acted out all over the police?

There's lots of ways to get arrested. :shrug:

[blondeatlast]

2. That's what one of the neighbors said he was doing.

He's been that way before so I wouldn't be surprised.

This is a very new neighborhood and we all know each other--just very strange happenings and pretty depressing. :cry:

[EFerrari]

4. If my mom died, I don't know that my behavior would be very good.

I'm so sorry. Our neighborhood is pretty close, so when we hear a siren, we're all at the window or on the porch -- not from nosiness exactly but to make sure everyone is okay.

:hug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. When my mother had her heart attack....

ALL the neighbors were out looking. And it was a damn cold December night. But the fire department had sent three big trucks -- including a snorkel truck -- before the ambulance arrived. All who arrived early were paramedics and they got to her right away.

Despite their efforts, she died a week short of her 94th birthday, in full control of all her faculties.

I miss her.

[EFerrari]

6. I remember that.

:hug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. Thanks...

:hug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. How old was the man? And his wife???

Was the son their caregiver?

My mother once was hospitalized for dehydration and malnutrition. It was at a time when she was not eating or drinking much, thanks to her chronic depression.

As her caregiver (we had a woman who came during the day to stay with her while I worked), I was concerned that the onus might fall on me. But it was a case of you can lead an elderly depressed mother to food and drink, but you cannot force her to eat and drink.

Happily, the doctor (who is my own physician) understood. The subject never came up, but I have heard of situations where the caregiver is charged.

And what a weird thing to have happen across the street from you.

I don't think that I ever behaved erraticly.

[EFerrari]

9. I've been arrested four times on Doug's paranoid reports when

he was in the middle of an episode.

It never came to anything (besides me experiencing what it's like to be in jail) I was never even arraigned and twice, they made me sign a slip that said I wasn't arrested. But, in our case, the police had orders to CYA above everything else.

There is a danger to caretakers from insurance companies. :(

Have to go get those arrests cleared or I'll never pass a background check.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. Yikes! That is bad.

My mother only suffered from depression and an anxiety disorder. Also agoraphobia.

She would never have had me arrested, nor would the sawbones.

Really, it is good that you are mostly free of Doug.

:hug:

[EFerrari]

12. He has no idea what he did.

And I'm afraid to ask anyone how he's doing.

Life is life, my dear.

[idgiehkt]

7. unless he confessed

it's possible he was just going nuts. It'll come out eventually. Sorry to hear it.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Did you know them well?

Maybe take a casserole over, or something that the woman can heat and eat, and maybe she'll tell you what's going on.

(I am not advocating being Gladys Kravitz, though. :) )

[EFerrari]

13. Gladys Kravitz.

lol

[blondeatlast]

18. Gladys is my great fear in life. Our neighbor 2 doors down is a sweet lady

but a bit of a Gladys! I'm sure she'll fill me in on all the details if I see her at the mailbox.

[blondeatlast]

17. We're kind of between the casserole stage and a simple "hi"

on the street. It would be a little intrusive at this stage to visit but as the situation calms I'll pay a visit. I always gauge these things on what I would want and right now I wouldn't want me over there but later it might be nice. :shrug:

I just discovered we had some mutual acquaintences (the neigbors are Indian as is Mr. B) and he got some information from them.

Apparently it's a little more than just erratic behavior from the son (he got combative with the police and something else I'm not sure of) but thank goodness there is NO indication of foul play whatsoever.

Another friend stayed with the wife all night.

[FloridaJudy]

14. Could be the son just went nuts, not foul play

My uncle (who was always unstable) really lost it when my mother died: he tried to steal her body from the funeral home. He actually did steal the urn with her ashes after she was cremated. No one in the family has a clue where it is now.

If people are erratic to begin with, a loss can really send them over the edge. Maybe his mother was afraid he'd injure himself or someone else. I'd take over a nice casserole, or offer to do the grocery shopping. It sounds like the poor woman could use a hand right now.

[Pacifist Patriot]

19. That would be my guess and I love your suggestion. Very neighborly!

[cynatnite]

15. Or maybe the son was arrested for having something illegal n/t

[KT2000]

16. When my neighbor died at home

the police came and one thing they do is count all the medications of a certain category. Then they figure if the person had taken the correct amount - or if some are missing.
There could have been a discrepancy there.

[Dangerously Amused]

20. Lots or reasons he might have been taken into custody, not all of them criminal in nature.

If he was depressed over the death (or for other reasons) and made a statement indicating suicidal intent, or something arguably close to it, then the police had to take him into protective custody and place him in a psyche ward for evaluation.

If he was upset over the death and drunk or otherwise irrational, and the police thought he posed a risk (whether intentional or unintentional) of any type of harm to himself or the woman or her home, they would have taken him into protective custody.

If he was upset at the officer's presence and belligerent or otherwise uncooperative and made the police officer's job more difficult, he may have been arrested for obstructing.

He may have been a perfect gentlemen to the police and anyone else, but there may have been a warrant out for his arrest due to something like non-payment of child support, or traffic tickets.

Just a few examples, there are many other scenarios too. I wouldn't draw any conclusions just from the fact that he was arrested at the scene of a death from (apparently, so far) natural causes.

Just my .02.

[noonwitch]

21. Maybe the kid had a really bad reaction to his dad's death.

Maybe he broke some things and scared his mom, and someone called the police.