Mother left 3-year-old twins, 5-year-old alone prior to fire, Metro Police charge

By Jackie Valley

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 | 3:10 p.m.

The mother of the three children hospitalized last week after they were found alone and unresponsive in their smoke-filled downtown apartment has been charged with felony child abuse, Metro Police said Wednesday.

Jessica Warthen, 21, was charged with three counts of felony child abuse with substantial bodily harm stemming from the Feb. 15 apartment fire, police said.

Investigators said they determined Warthen left her three young children — a 5-year-old and 3-year-old twins — unattended while she visited a friend. Fire officials said Warthen returned home several minutes after firefighters arrived to put out the fire.

Las Vegas Fire and Rescue responded to the fire at 8:15 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Hidden Village apartment complex, 1825 Lewis Ave. The complex is downtown near Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue.

Firefighters found the three children unresponsive in an apartment bedroom and a mattress on fire in a nearby room, officials said. The children were transported to University Medical Center in critical condition, but they have since been released, a hospital spokesperson said.

Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said the children had suffered smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators determined the fire was caused by children playing with matches or a lighter, which were found in the same room, officials said.

While detectives interviewed Warthen at the scene, they realized she was wanted on a warrant from North Las Vegas, police said.

Police transported her to the North Las Vegas Detention Center, where she remained until her release to Metro detectives, police said.

Warthen was arrested in connection with the child abuse charges Tuesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, police said. Jail records indicate she is being held without bond.

Her first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.

The children have been placed in protective custody, said Christine Skorupski, a spokeswoman for Clark County Department of Family Services.