Police find two dead during welfare check

Natural causes suspected

Police believe two bodies found Monday night in Yuba City were the result of deaths by natural causes. The bodies were found as police conducted a welfare check.

A home health care company in Roseville requested the check on a 90-yearold client and his caregiver at a home in the 700 block of Cooper Avenue, said Sgt. Dennis Hauck. The company hadn’t spoken to the man since June 15 and had attempted several phone calls to him and his caregiver, the last attempt being on Thursday.

When police arrived at about 6:30 p.m., the front door was open. Through a locked screen door, they could see a body in the living room. That person was the 63-year-old caregiver, and it appeared that he had been dead one to two weeks, Hauck said.

The 90-year-old client was found dead in another room; he was bedridden and health issues kept him from getting up and caring for himself, Hauck said. While the man had medical issues, the caregiver’s death could have contributed to the client’s death, since he could not care for himself, Hauck said.

“It was definitely a series of unfortunate events,” Hauck said. “Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.”

Sutter County Undersheriff Jeff Pierce said in an email Tuesday that autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday. Identification is pending notification of family members.