Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Man arrested after tots found bound and gagged in garage

Press Conference

Torey Van Oot / Las Vegas Sun

Lt. Ray Steiber of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Child Abuse and Neglect Section speaks at a Wednesday press conference announcing the arrest of a 20-year-old man suspected of leaving his girlfriend’s toddlers bound, gagged and hooded in a garage for more than two hours.

Jonathan Weaver

Jonathan Weaver

A 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after two toddlers were left bound, hooded and gagged in a southwest valley garage for more than two hours, Metro Police said.

Jonathan Weaver of Las Vegas was arrested on charges of child abuse and endangerment, kidnapping and attempted murder.

His girlfriend, the biological mother of the children, had left her sons in Weaver’s care while she attended night school, police said.

Police responded to a report of babies crying from inside a garage at an apartment complex in the 10000 block of South Spencer Street at 8:18 p.m. Tuesday. The crying had stopped by the time police and medics arrived, but the person who reported the noise was able to point out which garage the cries had come from.

Officers discovered the two toddlers, ages 1 and 2, bound, gagged and hooded in car seats, police said. The children were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and have been released into the custody of Child Protective Services, police said.

“They were terrified,” said Lt. Ray Steiber of Metro’s Child Abuse and Neglect Section. “This was horrific.”

Police said they determined the garage, which was not attached to the apartment building, was assigned to Weaver, who lives in the complex. He was later located and arrested within the complex, police said.

Police have not yet determined where Weaver was while the children were unattended. The mother, who does not live in the same complex, was not aware of the situation and is not expected to face charges, police said.

Steiber characterized the person who reported hearing the crying as a hero and a Good Samaritan.

“This citizen is responsible for the rescuing of these children,” he said. “While this was a horrific, horrendous event, it could have been worse.”

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