Couple charged in death of child

Stephen Curran

Friday, March 25, 2005 | 9:53 a.m.

A teen mother from Southern California and her boyfriend are in the Clark County Detention Center this morning charged in connection with the death of the woman's 6-month-old daughter, Metro Police said.

Duchess Davis, 18, and her boyfriend, 28-year-old Theodore Stevens, were arrested Wednesday inside Buffalo Bill's hotel in Primm after security personnel caught them trying to leave with Davis' dead daughter inside their car, police said.

Lisa Teele, supervisor for Metro's abuse and neglect unit, said a patron at the hotel's casino contacted security after Davis approached her about 11 a.m. Wednesday to ask for help treating her baby.

Detectives Thursday afternoon were working to determine how long the child, whose name was not released, had been dead before the couple was arrested, Teele said.

The couple was detained by hotel security and was later arrested by Metro officers.

Davis was charged with felony child neglect, and Stevens, who allegedly told police he struck the infant in the head several times, was charged with murder by child abuse and felony child neglect.

If convicted, statutes dictate Stevens, who police said is also known as Michael Sabatino, could face the death penalty, District Attorney David Roger said.

Davis, who faces charges for allegedly failing to call paramedics after finding her child dead, faces two to 20 years in prison if convicted as charged.

Teele said the couple had checked into the hotel on Monday and were planning to check out Wednesday morning. She said she did not know if they were heading back to California or on their way somewhere else or if they were planning to travel with the child.