Photo credit: KLAS-TV LAS VEGAS/8 NEWS NOW
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Officials from Child Protective Services say they had no reports of problems with a foster family before an apparent murder-suicide in Las Vegas that left a toddler dead.
A notice issued by the state Tuesday offers few other details on the death of 16-month-old Michell Momox-Caselis or her 37-year-old foster father, Joaquin Juarez-Paez.
The father was found dead last Sunday morning in the parking lot of an apartment complex on North Jones Boulevard. His wife was searching for the keys to the vehicle when she discovered the toddler dead in her crib.
“It appears that the male who was found in his vehicle had killed their foster child and then ultimately took his own life,” said Lieutenant Ray Steiber, Homicide Division of Metro Police.
Lt. Steiber went on to say the cause of death for the child appeared to be asphyxiation. He said it doesn’t look like the child’s foster mother had anything to do with this crime.
“Mom was at home asleep is what we do know, and we know that the father, the male was due to leave for work early in the morning. It was because he didn’t show up for work, it alerted mother and she went outside and ultimately found her husband,” Lt. Steiber said.
When asked if there was anything to indicate why the foster father allegedly did this, Metro Police said they’re waiting for the autopsy report to give them more answers in this case.
“That’s all under investigation. I don’t have specifics in regards to the father’s history or what led to him doing this to his child. That’s going to be vetted out and determined probably a little later in the investigation,” Lt. Steiber said.
The name of the child has not been released yet. Detectives said there was also a 6-month-old foster child in the home, but that child was unharmed. Child Protective Services will have to make a decision in regards to that child.
Officers say the couple had recently become foster parents for Momox-Caselis and another child. The notice says another “relevant household member” was immediately removed from the home.
Coroner’s officials haven’t yet released their causes of death.
