Two were arrested Saturday for suspicion of felony child neglect after leaving a 9-year-old and 16-month old in their vehicle while they were gambling for more than an hour inside a casino, according to a Carson City Sheriff’s Office booking report.
Stevie Watterson and Damien Malone Munoz were taken into custody at 8:22 p.m. following an investigation. They each face two counts of felony child neglect.
According to the booking report, CCSO deputies were called to a casino in the 900 block of South Carson Street. The reporting party said that two small children were inside a vehicle with the windows rolled up and no adults present.
Deputies made contact with a 9-year-old girl and the 16-month old. The 9-year-old juvenile was able to provide descriptions of the parents. Deputies located both parents inside the casino where they were gambling. Both matched the descriptions provided. When a deputy asked the man if he had children in the car, he stated “yes,” the report states.
The deputy then instructed both the man and woman suspects to walk with them to the vehicle. When asked how long they had been inside the casino while there children were outside in the car, the woman replied that it had been about an hour.
The man then became verbally agressive, stating words to the effect of “I fu**ed up, and later said to the woman, “We are going to jail,” the report states. The woman also admitted saying “I know it was wrong” after being question about leaving her 16-month-old in the car, the report states.
When the older child exited the vehicle, a deputy observed a wet stain on the back of her pants. Based on the odor, the deputy believed it was urine. The child also stated that her parents often leave her and her younger sister in the car when they gamble, approximately once a week, the report states.
Inside the vehicle were several blankets and bottles containing curdled milk. One of the children began crying while Carson City Fire Department was on scene.
The investigating deputy directed another deputy to inquire about video evidence. Deputies obtained and uploaded the videos. In the first and second videos the suspects can be seen exiting the car together and walking toward the casino. In the third video, both individuals are observed entering the casino at approximately 7:18 p.m.
Deputies read the female suspect her Miranda warning and she agreed to speak. She stated that both she and the man entered the casino and lost track of time. She explained that she had a bad feeling but continued gambling until contacted by law enforcement, the report states.
She further advised the the older child had told her she needed to use the bathroom before they left and entered the casino and it was likely that the child had an accident. The female suspect, Watterson, stated “I regret the choices that I made” and “I just made a horrible choice.” Both were booked on two counts of child abuse and neglect and placed into custody. Bail: $10,000 each.
— All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) is public information and supplied by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office through probable cause reports. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Go here to view Carson Now’s policy on naming defendants.
