Local
Scottsdale tour turns fatal as wind-blown roofing strikes Brazilian university leader
Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector of a university in Brazil, died Friday after roofing material struck him during a walking tour at Taliesin West. Scottsdale police are investigating the death as weather-related; the medical examiner will determine the official cause.
A Brazilian university leader died Friday afternoon after roofing material blown loose by strong winds struck him during a walking tour at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, officials said.
Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, was with a tour group near Cactus Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard when the incident happened at about 2 p.m., according to the Scottsdale Fire Department. He died at the scene.
Police are investigating the death as a weather-related accident and do not suspect foul play. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause of death.
Winds in Scottsdale were blowing from the east at about 22 mph around the time of the incident, with gusts reaching 32 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The university announced that classes would be canceled Saturday and Monday and administrative offices would be closed Monday as it mourns Mateucci. A memorial Mass for “Brother Rogério” is scheduled for Monday at the Jesus the Master University Chapel and will be streamed on the university’s YouTube channel.
Taliesin West, the former winter home and studio of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is a Scottsdale landmark. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation had not publicly commented on the incident in the information available Friday.