Records show Las Vegas mother’s neglect preceded death of girl, 2

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez

Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 | 8:15 p.m.

Two-year-old Jasmine Sherfield's bout with lice was so severe that medical examiners said they could see the insects jumping from her body, according to Metro Police.

A diaper rash was in such an advanced stage that her skin began to scar, police said.

Jasmine, who was dehydrated and malnourished and suffered a urinary tract infection at the time of her death Oct. 18, also suffered from stunted growth.

Diana Eldridge, 23, was booked last week on one count of murder and two counts of child abuse and neglect relating to her two other daughters, ages 1 and 3.

They, too, suffered from lice infestation and were dirty, police said. It wasn't immediately clear who, but one of the girls had a severe rash and eczema. One of the girls also had an open wound on her heel and calloused feet due to walking barefoot or wearing "ill-fitting" shoes.

Eldridge today made an initial court appearance and was assigned a public defender, according to court documents. She remained at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

History of neglect

Clark County Child Protective Services representatives investigated Eldridge several times before the girl's death, according to police and CPS records.

In July 2015, CPS was called after a domestic violence incident involving Eldridge's boyfriend, police said. The agency opened an investigation and found the allegations of "physical risk and injury" to be substantiated and closed the case.

Information on what action the agency took, if any, wasn't immediately available.

The agency was called in January due to Eldridge attempting suicide while being the sole provider of the children, police said. The accompanying allegation of neglect was found to be unsubstantiated, a state child fatality disclosure document shows.

One of the girls wandering around the apartment complex unsupervised prompted an investigation in May.

A fourth investigation was launched June 8, police said. A social worker responded to the family's residence at Bay Bridge Apartments, 400 S. Maryland Parkway, south of Russell Road, according to police.

The worker entered the apartment and found one of the girls crying and lying naked on a bedroom floor, which also contained feces, police said.

Eldridge was sleeping in her bedroom and had to be woken up, police said. The social worker noticed marijuana on Eldridge's nightstand and an apparent tattoo needle on the floor.

A neglect investigation was opened, but after a probe, allegations were found to be unsubstantiated, the child death disclosure document shows.

Representatives from a different social service reported neglect for similar living circumstances six days later, police said. CPS opened an investigation but the "referral did not rise to the level of warranting an investigation and was coded 'information only,'" the disclosure shows.

Further details on that report weren't immediately available.

Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said today that the agency wasn't able to comment on the cases due to the open criminal investigation and the confidential nature of how the agency operates.

By law, according to CPS, information released to the public is limited to "protect the rights of the child and family as mandated by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act."

Deplorable living conditions

Investigators in the most recent case immediately noticed the stench of urine and feces throughout the apartment, according to the report. The clogged kitchen sink had dirty, standing water and dishes; drawers were off their tracks. Trash covered the living room floor.

Dirty clothes were strewn about, a trash can was topped with soiled diapers, police said.

In the room Jasmine shared with her older sister, the lock to the door was reversed, an indication that they may have in the past been locked in, police said. Further evidence of this was damage to the side of the door that faced the room.

There were also apparent blood stains on the walls. An "unknown" thick substance was discovered and bedding was stained.

Eldridge's room also was found in a disheveled state, police said. The woman told detectives she was the sole provider of the girls since her boyfriend and their father was incarcerated since last summer.

Apartment management told police that the family had only moved in five months prior to the incident.

Detectives wrote in her arrest report that aside from telling them what she fed the children the previous night, she had no recollection of a daily feeding or care itinerary.

Her current girlfriend, who did not live with her and hadn't visited her in about 10 days prior to Jasmine's death, told detectives about fights the couple had over the woman's habits and her being "unclean," police said.

The woman said Eldridge was overwhelmed by the care of the three children and said she'd in the past tried helping out, but that Eldridge would almost immediately give up cleaning. The woman described her as having the "case of the lazies."

Further in the conversation with detectives, Eldridge said she believed the locks may have been reversed due to a history of the children locking themselves in, police said.

For discipline, the woman said, Eldridge would send the children to their room, police said.

A child's death

As punishment for "acting out," Eldridge sent Jasmine to her room about 6 p.m. the night before her body was found, police said. This was the last time Eldridge had seen her awake or alive.

About 7:30 p.m., Eldridge told detectives, she'd checked on the girl who had fallen asleep on the bedroom floor and carried her to her bed.

Almost 12 hours later, Jasmine was dead, Eldridge said, lying face down on the bed, her arms underneath her small body, according to the police report.

It wasn't immediately clear who took custody of Eldridge's two living daughters.

Eldridge will next appear in court Jan. 6, jail records show.

To report abuse, witnesses can call Metro's abuse and neglect unit, 702-828-3364, 911 or 311. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or at crimestoppersofnv.com.

Contact Clark County CPS anonymously at 702-399-0081. To submit a report online, visit here.