Deputies respond to altercation between guardian and elderly client

83-year-old client falls under disputed circumstances 

By Algernon D’Ammassa

LAS CRUCES — A physical altercation between an 83-year-old Fairacres resident and his court-appointed guardian in July reportedly culminated in bruises, a fall and a visit from Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office deputies.  

“Charges have not been filed yet and are pending for now until further investigation,” the report states.

Milan “Mick” Vaskov, a retired businessman whose best-known property was the former Celebrate chain of liquor stores in Las Cruces, lives in his home with his wife and round-the-clock caregivers under the supervision of the Albuquerque-based Decades Group, an elder care and guardianship corporation.

Decades, founded in 2001, was appointed as Vaskov’s guardian and conservator by court order in 2025. The case has been contentious, as Vaskov and his wife have sought to challenge restrictions on his living circumstances and assert his preferences in court. The court proceedings are not public. 

On July 2, deputies responded to a 911 call at Vaskov’s residence reporting a domestic disturbance at about 9:30 a.m.

A police report citing witnesses at the home states that a Decades staff member — listed on the company’s’ website as a care manager and national certified guardian — pushed Vaskov, but accounts of what led to the contact vary.

The account presented by the police report states that Vaskov placed his hands on the guardian’s shoulders during an argument. Vaskov then fell to the floor. The guardian reportedly left the scene before deputies arrived.

The report said Vaskov was asking the guardian about the location of his deceased first wife’s ashes, which had recently been removed from his home without his consent. 

The deputy reported that Vaskov declined medical attention and did not wish to press charges “due to ongoing family and legal matters.” The deputies also found no probable cause that a crime had been committed. However, a supplemental report states that Vaskov visited a hospital for an examination and contacted deputies to say he wished to press charges. 

Crystal Sanchez, a caregiver who is not employed by Decades, witnessed the incident and requested a follow-up interview with law enforcement hours later, according to the report. She stated that Vaskov “was taken to urgent care” for evaluation. Photographs reviewed by the Journal appear to show bruising and scraping along one hand and on one arm around the elbow. 

In a follow-up interview the next day, also described in the report, the guardian reportedly told deputies he was trying to “create distance between them” when Vaskov “lost his balance and fell to the floor while still holding onto him.”

“I didn’t fall down. I got pushed down,” Vaskov said in an interview. He said he sustained scratches and bruises on both arms and remained “a little bit” sore three weeks later. “I walk a little slower and I had to put my shirts on differently. … I got bruised up pretty hard.” 

In an interview for the Journal, Sanchez, a caregiver with a private health care firm, provided an account that differed from the initial police report. She said the report did not reflect the narrative she provided and that she came forward because of her legal mandate to report suspicions of abuse or neglect of vulnerable people.

She said Vaskov was agitated over the missing ashes and asked the guardian to leave.

“Instead of de-escalating the situation, (the guardian) kind of egged it on a little more by stating that he didn't want to leave and that he had to deal with it,” she said. The antagonism escalated, she said, alleging the guardian grabbed Vaskov “forcefully” as he approached a table, “walking him backwards, making my client fall onto the floor, onto the carpet, dropping the lamp, shade and everything,” as she ran across the room to assist her client.

The Journal reached out to Decades Group via email and telephone, as well as the guardian directly, but got no response.  

The guardian reportedly has not returned to the home since the incident.

According to the Vaskovs, Adult Protective Services conducted an interview about the events of July 2.

Additionally, they said that Mick Vaskov was found by a state district judge to be totally incapacitated at an Aug. 15 hearing where Decades was appointed plenary guardian and conservatory, with complete legal authority to make medical, financial and personal decisions on his behalf. 

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Deputies respond to altercation between guardian and elderly client