Two girls stabbed in Mesquite; one dies

Jen Lawson and Judy Odierna

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 | 11:32 a.m.

A 3-year-old girl was killed and her 10-year-old sister was critically injured after a stabbing this morning in a Mesquite RV park next to the CasaBlanca resort, authorities said.

The girls, who were asleep in a recreational vehicle while their mother and her boyfriend were at the casino, were awakened about 1:30 a.m. by a man who knocked on the RV door and told the 10-year-old her mother was injured, police said.

When the girl opened the door, the man grabbed her and stabbed her, police said. Investigators believe he then stabbed the 3-year-old.

One man and two women in their late teens or early 20s have been taken into custody in Utah about 250 miles northeast of Mesquite, police and investigators said. Mesquite is about 80 miles north of Las Vegas.

The three suspects were stopped on Interstate 15 near Nephi, Utah, about 7:45 a.m. by the Utah Highway Patrol. They gave up without incident, Lt. Doug McCleve, highway patrol spokesman, said.

Nevada investigators were driving to Utah this morning to pick up the three at the Juab County Jail.

"I think you would have to be pretty sick to do something like this to a child," Deputy Chief Joe Szalay of the Mesquite Police Department said.

Investigators believe the suspect had an argument with the mother and boyfriend earlier in the evening at the CasaBlanca, said Lt. Jerry Hafen of the state Department of Public Safety, which investigates crimes for the Mesquite Police Department. They believe the suspects went to the RV intending to rob the family.

A witness told investigators she saw a car leaving and recognized the people inside, Hafen said.

The children were airlifted to University Medical Center and arrived at 3:41 a.m. The 3-year-old girl was pronounced dead at 5:26 a.m. An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday. Her sister was in critical condition this morning with multiple stab wounds. Her mother was at her bedside, officials said.

Their mother was sequestered in the pediatric emergency room and could not be reached for comment.

Bob Schmidt of Banning, Calif., was at UMC this morning to try to console his son and the mother of the two children.

He said his son, Bobby Schmidt, had been like a stepfather to the two children, Brittney, 10, and Cristiana, 3. Bobby Schmidt and the mother of the girls, Tamara Bergeron, had been living in the area, Bob Schmidt said.

Szalay said that the 10-year-old told police that a woman had come into the RV with the man who stabbed her.

The child told police that when she opened the door, the man grabbed her and held his hand over her mouth, but she didn't remember anything after that, police say. The weapon had not been recovered this morning.

The elder Schmidt said his trailer was parked next to the fifth-wheel vehicle in which the stabbing occurred early today.

He and his wife were awakened about 2 a.m. by screaming, he said.

"My son Bobby was screaming, 'Cristiana got stabbed!' There was blood all over my place. My wife took off running," Schmidt said.

Szalay said the man stabbed both children numerous times in the head, neck and legs.

The mother of the girls was in the casino at the time, police said. Investigators think the mother left the RV minutes before the stabbing occurred. She went into the casino to retrieve her boyfriend, police said.

The mother returned about 10 minutes later and found the children bleeding.

CasaBlanca officials said they would issue a statement later today.

It was the worst case of violence against children at a casino since 1997, when Nevada captured national attention after Sherrice Iverson was murdered in a casino bathroom by Jeremy Strohmeyer while her father LeRoy Iverson gambled. Former District Attorney Stewart Bell opted not to press charges against the father at the time because he said there was no basis for criminal prosecution.

This morning Barbie doll accessories, a child car seat, two green lawn chairs and a cooler were outside the RV, which was sealed with police tape. A neighboring 2-year-old rode a pink Barbie jeep outside.

John Braden, a longtime resident of the CasaBlanca RV park, said the "park is a wonderful place to live. This is so shocking." But parents should never leave their children unattended, he added.

A group of Canadian tourists who spent the night in the RV park on their way to Las Vegas were surprised to wake up to police.

They were horrified when they learned what happened.

"When we were growing up we didn't hear about this stuff," said Jim Borgal from Edmonton, Alberta. "It comes down to a basic lack of respect for life."

Newly elected District Attorney David Roger said he would consider prosecuting the parents under the state's neglect laws the case calls for it.

"We will review all of the facts and circumstances presented by the detectives to determine whether any charges are appropriate," Rogers said. "It falls under the general statute of abuse or neglect. If a child is placed in harm's way, then abuse and neglect may be an appropriate charge."

Nevada statutes do not stipulate an age below which children may be left alone but neglect charges can be applied to parents or guardians of children under the age of 18.

"We've got to keep an open mind about this case," Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens said. "Historically our office has not been prone to jump heedlessly into these kinds of things. We've always approached these things carefully."

Sun reporters

Emily Richmond and Jennifer Knight contributed to this story.