Woman arrested in death of toddler

Kim Smith

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

Prosecutors have filed a murder charge against a Las Vegas woman suspected of causing the death of a 19-month-old child she was babysitting.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Las Vegas Justice Court, Tarsila Chavez, 33, caused fatal injuries to Mario Chavez Nieto by shaking him violently.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon said the case is the fourth child homicide case his office has filed charges in so far this year. There were five child homicide cases filed all of last year.

Justice of the Peace Pro Tem Melanie Tobiasson assigned the public defender's office to Chavez's case during a court hearing this morning. She also scheduled Chavez's preliminary hearing for July 16.

Metro Police spokesman Officer Tirso Dominguez said police were called to University Medical Center shortly after 6 p.m. June 8 after the child's father brought him in.

The child was taken into surgery shortly before 8 p.m. and died at 10:30 p.m., Dominguez said.

The father had picked the child up from Chavez's home on Stewart Avenue, where she had been babysitting him, Dominguez said.

Four defendants are awaiting trial in the three other child homicide cases filed this year -- all three deaths occurred in January.

Charles Felipa and Elizabeth Calvillo face first-degree murder and child abuse charges in connection with the January death of Calvillo's daughter, Viridiana Lizeth Flore-Calvillo.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Vicki Monroe, who is prosecuting the case, said an autopsy revealed that two to four days before she died the child suffered internal injuries during a beating.

Joaquin Perry-Edwards, 38, is charged with murder by child abuse in the Jan. 23 death of his three-week-old son, Elijah.

An autopsy revealed the baby's heart had ruptured as the result of blunt force trauma. Perry-Edwards testified at his preliminary hearing that he struck his son twice in the chest, because he believed he was choking.

Perry-Edwards said the baby seemed fined when he put him to bed, but he found him dead the next morning.

In the fourth case, Martha Flores, 26, is awaiting trial on murder by child abuse charges in the Jan. 28 death of her 5-year-old stepdaughter, Zoraida Flores. An autopsy revealed the child died of a blow to the head.

Four of the five cases from last year resulted in plea agreements.

Johnny Avila, 23, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and neglect in connection with the May 28, 2000, death of his 11-month-old daughter, Katie Cortes.

Police believe Avila put the baby in the tub to cool a fever and then fell asleep with the tub still running. He later told police he had used cocaine the day before.

Avila was given two to eight years in prison.

Candice Kitto was given 10 to 25 years in prison after she admitted prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her of second-degree murder in the death of her newborn daughter.

Prosecutors said Kitto, 23, gave birth in her bathtub, she placed the baby in a plastic bag, put the bag into a box and shoved it into her closet, covering it with clothes.

Susan Harley is scheduled to be sentenced next month after admitting last month that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict her in the death of her son. According to a criminal complaint filed March 23, Harley shook or struck her son, Cory, on Oct. 11, 1998, causing fatal head injuries.

Virginia Vasquez, 15, is scheduled to be sentenced today after admitting that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict her. Police believe Vasquez gave birth to a boy and then drowned him in the toilet in April.

Antowin Rankin is scheduled to go to trial in January on a murder charge in connection with the death of his girlfriend's infant daughter.