Two adults were arrested Saturday night on suspicion of felony child neglect after allegedly leaving a 9-year-old and a 16-month-old alone in a vehicle for more than an hour while they gambled inside a Carson City casino, according to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Deputies arrested Stevie Watterson and Damien Malone Munoz at 8:22 p.m., and each faces two counts of felony child abuse and neglect, CCSO booking records show.
Deputies were called to a casino on South Carson Street after a reporting party said two small children were inside a vehicle with the windows rolled up and no adults present. Deputies made contact with the children, including a 9-year-old girl who was able to provide descriptions of her parents.
Deputies later located both adults inside the casino, where they were gambling. Both matched the descriptions provided by the child. When asked if he had children in the car, the man acknowledged that he did, according to the report.
Deputies escorted both suspects back to the vehicle. When asked how long the children had been alone, the woman told deputies it had been about an hour. The man then became verbally aggressive and made statements indicating he knew they were going to jail, the report states. The woman also admitted she knew leaving the children in the car was wrong.
When the older child exited the vehicle, a deputy observed a wet stain on the back of her pants that, based on odor, appeared to be urine. The child told deputies her parents often leave her and her younger sibling in the car while they gamble, approximately once a week, according to the report.
Inside the vehicle, deputies found several blankets and bottles containing curdled milk. One of the children began crying while Carson City Fire Department personnel were on scene.
Deputies also obtained surveillance video, which showed both suspects exiting the vehicle together and entering the casino at approximately 7:18 p.m.
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