Grief, Love, And Questions Surround Newhallville Father’s Death

By Mona Mahadevan, New Haven Independent

NEW HAVEN, CT — A 57-year-old man from Newhallville died while staying in a transitional housing program on Edgewood Avenue last month. His family is still searching for answers about how the nonprofit that runs the home handled the moments before and after his death.

On Oct. 25, more than 100 people celebrated the life of Michael “Chubby” Vega during a memorial service at The New Trinity Temple Church of God in Christ, located at 285 Dixwell Ave. Vega’s friends and family donned white clothing, sparkly jewelry, and screen printed hoodies, featuring a smiling Vega seated behind a DJ stand.

Vega’s eldest son, Antoine, 37, cried when speaking about his father. He was “the life of the party,” said Antoine. The loss of his “smile,” “laugh,” and “energy” leave behind a “void that can’t be filled.”

Vega’s family described him as a prolific DJ and chef. His nephew, Kuron, 29, credited Vega as “the reason I love music.”

Vega “pushed me to try new things,” said Kuron, helping him record albums at a music studio and network with industry giants. Kuron returned the favor by showing Vega new music during family get-togethers at Vega’s mom’s home.

“He always made me believe in myself,” said Kuron.

Vega’s daughter, Jewel, 34, fondly remembered Vega’s devotion to his family. Jewel described Vega as a “very involved” dad, always the “go-to person for any problem in my life.” As a grandfather, he was “supportive” and took pride in his grandchildren.

She was heartbroken by the loss of Vega. Through tears, she said, “I’m taking it one day at a time.”

Jeannette Glenn, Vega’s sister, described Vega as “the funniest person in the world.” He was also “a big planner,” “very responsible,” and “always made things happen.”

Gary Tinney, who grew up near Vega, remembered Vega as a young man with a curly afro, always squinting in his futile attempt to see without his coke-bottle glasses. Tinney looked back fondly on their childhood on Division Street, recalling how they’d “eat,” “laugh,” and “have fun” in their friends’ homes.

Amidst this celebration of life, Vega’s family is continuing their search for answers around the circumstances of his death at 380 Edgewood Ave.

In an email sent to the Independent, Pepe, Vega’s brother, described his suspicions around what he framed as the “[s]uspicious death and robbery of [a] cancer patient.”

According to Pepe, his brother Michael began living in a home owned by the nonprofit Continuum of Care after being released from Yale New Haven Hospital. He had stage four cancer but, said Pepe, “was not at end-of-life as of early October 2025.”

After visiting his family in Springfield, Mass., on Oct. 4, wrote Pepe, Michael’s family urged him to move out of Continuum. That same day, Pepe notified staff that he’d pick up Michael’s belongings on Oct. 5.

Early on Oct. 5, Michael ended up returning to the Continuum facility. Pepe said he called the facility multiple times that day with no answer.

Between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., said Pepe, his nephew called and told him that “facility staff had phoned him to ask permission to perform CPR on Michael — a move that seemed inappropriate, as Michael did not have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order.”

Later that night, “My niece informed me Continuum had called her back to report Michael had died and was still at the facility,” wrote Pepe. When he arrived at the house, Pepe said Michael, deceased, had “his eyes open and no jacket on.”

Pepe found the missing jacket suspicious because his family claimed Michael had been keeping “several thousand dollars in cash” in one of the pockets.

“Staff could not account for the jacket, only producing it minutes later after repeated questioning,” wrote Pepe. “The jacket contained Michael’s wallet and debit card but no cash.”

Along with the jacket, staff brought out some of Michael’s recent purchases, raising Pepe’s suspicions about potential theft, as those items hadn’t been “voluntarily presented or inventoried until after insistent questioning.”

Given their concerns about why staff allegedly delayed CPR and where Michael’s belongings had gone, Pepe and his family requested security camera footage of Vega’s last day from the facility. A month later, Pepe said they still haven’t received any video evidence.

More broadly, said Pepe, he’s found facility staff to be “unresponsive or evasive,” only producing “inconsistent and unsatisfactory” updates.

Pepe and his family filed a formal police report about Vega’s death on Oct. 13. On Thursday, police spokesperson Officer Christian Bruckhart confirmed that there’s still an “active theft investigation” regarding the case.

When reached for comment, Deborah Cox, Vice President of Marketing & Fund Development for Continuum, said Continuum, “as a healthcare organization, are unable to and will not comment on any details related to anyone’s care, treatment, or circumstances before or after their passing” due to “applicable privacy laws and ethical obligations.”

“We are deeply sorry for the family and loved ones’ loss,” she said. “Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”

Thomas Breen contributed to this report.

The New Haven Independent is a not-for-profit public-interest daily news site founded in 2005.