Caretaker arrested in developmentally disabled man’s death

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 was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:29 p.m. Initial examinations showed he possibly died from head trauma, the PC statement says. Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will confirm the cause of death after an autopsy.

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 the victim was a line of sight client, meaning they required constant visual supervision, the PC statement says.

The witness reported that the victim 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 bean bag chair, which was in the victim’s hands. This knocked the victim backward about 5 feet, according to the PC statement.

The witness said the victim hit his head on a living room coach and the floor. That was when 911 was called, the PC statement says.

When asked to provide a statement, Garbooshian declined and requested an attorney, according to the PC statement.

RELATED: Man in wheelchair killed in hit-and-run Monday morning, police say

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. 

RELATED: Emails describe build-up of safety concerns, illegal activity before Civic Center Park closure

> Top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER right now to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox. 

SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS  

Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.   

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n  

HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE 

ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA. 

For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for “9NEWS” to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.