A 38-year-old man faces charges including open murder in the death of a 3-year-old Pahrump girl found unresponsive, not breathing and suffering from multiple bruises and other injuries Saturday evening, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office said.
Cole Duane Engelson of Pahrump, faces charges of domestic violence, child abuse with substantial bodily harm resulting in death and open murder, the Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday.
“Cole Engelson is the boyfriend of the child’s mother and had been alone with the child for some time prior to the child’s death,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Engelson acknowledged his responsibility for the death of the child, however, provided very limited information to detectives with regards to his motive or mechanism.”
About 7:11 p.m. Saturday, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a child who had stopped breathing at a residence in the 5000 block of East Manse Road in Pahrump.
“Emergency personnel from Pahrump Valley Fire Rescue Service were dispatched and upon arrival found a woman performing CPR on her 3-year-old child,” the statement said.
“In addition to being unresponsive and not breathing, the child suffered from multiple bruises and other injuries. Emergency personnel provided life-saving measures while transporting the child to Desert View Hospital where Emergency Department staff tried desperately to save the child’s life. The child was subsequently pronounced deceased as a result of the severe injuries.”
Deputies and detectives responded to the residence and began a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s grave condition, the statement said.
Engelson later was taken into custody and booked at the Nye County Detention Center. He is being held on no bail.
The child’s name was not released.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the residence and searched well into the early morning hours for evidence of exactly what occurred to the child, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Division of Child and Family Services was notified to take custody of other children living in the residence and place them with alternative adult family members pending the outcome of the investigation.
The investigation is continuing. Further details will be released pending the results of an autopsy and completion of the investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Nye County Sherif’s Office at 775-751-7000, attention Detective A. Fernandes or by email at NCSO_Detectives@co.nye.nv.us
Check the Pahrump Valley Times for updates on this developing story.