PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona’s top prosecutor is looking to hold a Valley apartment complex accountable after a man died in the summer heat while the air conditioning wasn’t working.
The medical examiner determined issues with Frank Paterniti’s heart caused his accidental death, but other illnesses and heat also played a part in it.
Environmental heat exposure is listed as how the injury occurred, making him one of the more than 175 confirmed heat-related deaths so far this year in Maricopa County.
“He was simple. He was caring. He was loving,” said Allyssa Paterniti, Frank’s niece. “He always called me his favorite niece.”
Frank Paterniti was proud to be part of a big Italian family.
“He was always in the kitchen making pasta and meatballs,” she said.
Allyssa lives in Cleveland. That’s where she said her Uncle Frank was born and raised before he moved to Arizona 14 years ago to enjoy warmer weather year-round.
The tragic irony is that the Arizona heat would later contribute to his death. “I’m furious,” said Allyssa. “It was absolutely preventable.”
For the last five or so years, Allyssa said her uncle lived at the Elton Apartment Homes in Phoenix and that’s where he died in July at 66 years old.
“You cannot allow people to die on your watch,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
Over the summer, our reporting tipped off Mayes to concerns about a lack of working air conditioning at the complex. It went on for more than a week and during that timeframe, a pregnant woman went to the hospital and Frank died.
Mayes initiated legal action against the landlord, demanding that the air conditioning be fixed. “This is a big deal,” said Mayes.
Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office learned Frank was not given a portable fan while the air conditioning was out.
The medical examiner’s report said that when he was found days after he was last seen, his apartment was 101.1 degrees and his body temperature was 106.2.
“That’s unbelievable. That’s not OK,” said Allyssa.
“That ME report just demonstrates starkly why it is so important to hold the landlords accountable,” said Mayes. “We’re trying to send a message that if you do this, if you let this happen on your watch, you’re not going to get off the hook.”
Allyssa is grateful to know Mayes is pushing to use her uncle’s case as a way to make a change while she holds on to his memory. “Hopefully he’s at peace now and he’s not in pain,” said Allyssa.
Management at the Elton Apartments previously told Mayes that all air conditioning repairs were made and accommodations were provided to tenants, but a lawsuit could soon be coming in light of the medical examiner’s findings.
Mayes said her team is looking at every law to see how they can hold this landlord accountable and her office is currently investigating 10 apartment complexes across the state for similar problems.
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