Vidal Martins wants to know how a piece of acrylic came loose at Taliesin West and killed his colleague during a tour at the historic Scottsdale home.
Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, led Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná. He was one of four leaders from the school visiting Arizona with a larger group of Brazilian university officials, said Martins, a vice rector from the university who traveled with him.
Strong winds blew roofing material loose and struck Mateucci in the head, Scottsdale police spokesperson Officer Aaron Bolin said. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Detectives and crime scene personnel investigated, but police said they did not suspect foul play.
Martins, 57 and born and raised in Brazil, said
the group was finishing a trip to learn about Arizona State University’s management, and Mateucci visited Taliesin West for sightseeing after the ASU sessions ended.
The university was aware of the accident but was working to find out more details, spokesperson Jerry Gonzalez said in an email to The Arizona Republic on Oct. 19.
Another member who accompanied Mateucci on the tour called Martins to report that windblown acrylic had struck Mateucci in the head, he said.
The caller described heavy bleeding and efforts to save Mateucci, Martins said. Less than five minutes later, she called again to say he had died.
“The situation was very, very severe," Martins said.
Martins did not attend the tour but said he went to Taliesin West afterward and saw Mateucci’s body outside in an area authorities had closed off.
In an Oct. 19 interview with The Republic, Martins questioned how the acrylic had been attached to the roof and what safety measures protected visitors. He said he had noticed strong winds in Tempe that day.
“I think the security measures must be taken because it’s a public place," Martins said.
Martins questioned why only one piece came loose. He said he might understand if the wind had torn off several, but a single piece made him question whether it had been properly secured.
Much of Arizona was under wind alerts on Oct. 16, including metro Phoenix, where a wind advisory was in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Republic asked the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on Oct. 18 about roof inspections, precautions during high winds and reopening plans.
Foundation representative Jan Bracamonte responded with a statement from CEO Joe Spector offering condolences and saying Taliesin West was closed until further notice. The statement did not address inspections or wind precautions.
Martins said the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation had not contacted him, but ASU and the Brazilian consulate had offered help.
Taliesin West was architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and is operated by the foundation.
Tour followed an ASU visit
Before the ASU sessions began on Oct. 13, Martins and Mateucci visited the historic Western town of Tombstone and toured an underground mine, Martins said. Their sessions at ASU ended around noon on Oct. 16, Martins said.
“Everything was wonderful until that moment,” Martins said.
Mateucci loved art and architecture and had been eager to visit Taliesin West, Martins said. When Mateucci struggled to obtain tickets, Martins’ wife helped him get them.
Martins returned to their Tempe hotel while Mateucci went to Taliesin West with the university’s two other leaders who were visiting Arizona. The first call came about 30 minutes after Martins reached the hotel, he said.
“Are you sure?” Martins recalled asking when his colleague called again to say Mateucci had died. He asked her to confirm the death with police before they told family and friends.
Martins had known Mateucci for about 10 years and remembered him as a caring colleague who loved the university, he said.
“He was a very human person,” Martins said.
Mateucci had led the university since 2022 and was reappointed in December 2025 for another four-year term, according to a biography supplied by the university.
Martins had visited Mateucci’s home for dinners and celebrations of their accomplishments in the past.
Plans were being made to return Mateucci's remains to Brazil, with mortuaries in the United States and Brazil coordinating the process, Martins said.
Mateucci lived in a religious community and had no wife or children, Martins said.
He entered the Marist Institute in 1992 and took lifelong religious vows in 1997, according to the university’s biography.
Martins will be bringing his grief home to Brazil. Back home, he said his two children were asking for time with him and his wife.
“After this, we can go forward,” Martins said.
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Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Everything was wonderful' before Taliesin West death, colleague says
