A Henderson elderly couple's death is being blamed on accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Clark County coroner.
Carolina, 79, and Felito Gotardo, 82, were found deceased in their home in the Anthem area on July 9, but the cause of death wasn't released until Friday.
The couple's son confirmed that a car was accidentally left running in the couple's garage possibly causing carbon monoxide to enter their home.
"It upset the whole neighborhood for weeks; it was horrendous," said neighbor Deanne Galloway.
The coroner stresses the couple's death was accidental.
Since their deaths, neighbors have had a huge wake-up call when it comes to protecting their homes against the silent killer.
"I took mine out and put it to the car exhaust and it didn't even make a sound," said neighbor Mark Cook.
"I immediately went to the store and got replacement units for all the house," Galloway said.
Tim Szymanski with Las Vegas Fire and Rescue says many homeowners forget to replace their detectors every five years. Even worse, the biggest mistake people make is replacing their batteries, but not their devices.
"You have no warning and the carbon monoxide alarm is the only way to know that it is coming in your home," Szymanski said.
All carbon monoxide detectors should have a date on the back of the device. Firefighters suggest adding 5 year to that date to know when the device will expire.
