Arnoul Jaros had had his utilities shut off last year for non-payment, but had paid off the debt in July.

The 62 year old Jaros, who his family said suffered from social anxiety, was found frozen to death in his Freeland home on Saturday, February 15. 

Records show his utilities were shut off by Consumers Energy last summer, but the debt was paid off in July. A Consumers spokesperson said they had never received a request to restore power to the home, or a payment for the restoration fee.

The temperature in the home was 25 degrees when his body was found. First responders on the scene indicated that there were mugs of liquid that had frozen in the home.

“We are currently working with local law enforcement officials to understand more about the situation and are reviewing this person’s account records,” the company wrote in a statement to TV5 News in Saginaw. “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to this person’s friends and loved ones.”

Tittabawassee Township Police said that although Jaros' body was emaciated, the cause of death was indeed hypothermia.

"We have no idea why Arnoul kept this from us. If he was embarrassed, if he thought he could handle it, if he thought he could fix it," Karin said.

Karin said she'll never know why he didn't take the steps to restore his utilities. She said there should be safeguards in place to prevent something similar from happening to someone else.

"I do think it's very dangerous to turn off someone's power without a safety net. He lived in Falcon View Estates which is a senior 55 and older community. There's people in that age group, especially that have dementia, may forget to pay their bills. Have a safety net where someone is informed," Karin said.

 

 

 

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