Woman who set fire that endangered kids gets probation

Friday, July 2, 2004 | 8:56 a.m.

A 32-year-old mother who started a fire in her apartment with her three daughters inside in December 2003 was sentenced to five years probation and ordered not to seek custody of her children during that time.

Jennifer Mendoza was given suspended sentences of 8 to 20 years in prison for the charge of child abuse and neglect with substantial mental injury and 1 to 4 years in prison for one count of arson.

Mendoza had been charged with first-degree arson and three counts of attempted murder by the North Las Vegas Police Department.

In the arrest report, officers said Mendoza said she had wanted to kill herself and her children -- ages 5, 7 and 9 -- "since she had it so rough, she did not want her daughters to grow up in the same world she grew up in and end up like her."

In Mendoza's case, police allege she had disabled smoke alarms in the family's apartment in the 2100 block of Las Vegas Boulevard North near Bruce Street before she set fire to some newspapers and a bible. Mendoza called the fire department minutes later, according to authorities.

Mendoza had stopped taking her psychiatric medication at the time, police said.

Under the terms of her probation, Mendoza is required to undergo mental health counseling, take prescribed medication, follow the orders of Child Protective Services, attend Mental Health Court, enroll in the Salvation Army's Safe Haven program, and not attempt to gain custody of her children or have any conduct with minors without the consent of Parole and Probation.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure told Mendoza: "You have deep mental problems. Take your medication. If you violate probation I will look forward to putting you away for 20 years."

Mendoza said she understood the conditions of her probation, but Bonaventure questioned whether she really did. Bonaventure said he had received a letter from Mendoza expressing her intent to seek custody of her daughters at a Family Court hearing schedule for July 15.

Two of Mendoza's daughters will be under the custody of their natural father, while another would be under the custody of Mendoza's brother.

In court Mendoza said she wanted custody, but understood she couldn't seek it under the terms of her probation.

"If I get probation I won't try to get my kids, but I would like visitation," Mendoza said.

Both the defense and prosecutors agreed that if the entities monitoring her probation deemed supervised visitation with her children was safe, Mendoza could do so without violating her probation.

Bonaventure said the Mendoza case and the case of Sylvia Ewing, who is accused of murdering her two children with a baseball bat, make him wonder what kind of place the Las Vegas has become.

Ewing's case hinges on whether she is competent.

Bonaventure on Thursday scheduled a hearing for July 12 to hear arguments about whether Ewing is fit to stand trial. If Ewing found to be competent a preliminary hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court would soon follow.

"This a very serious matter with arson involved," Bonaventure said. "We have another case where allegedly a mother in a mental state took a baseball bat and smacked her kids in the head. I don't know what's happening in this city."