Pahrump man charged with child abuse for maintaining ‘filthy home’
A Pahrump man has been arrested for child abuse following a welfare check on a home that was found to be unsanitary.
Nye County Sheriff’s Deputy John Tolle was dispatched to the residence on March 16 where his investigation revealed alleged unsuitable living conditions for those living at the home, according to a highly redacted arrest report.
“I had reasonable findings to believe the residents inside may be in need of immediate medical assistance,” Tolle’s report noted. “Upon entering, I had to climb over quad tires and trash due to the condition of the house.”
Tolle’s report said he thought the residence was abandoned because every inch of the floor was covered in trash, food and random waste.
“I found none of the bathrooms to be functioning, and the bathrooms were covered with stacks of used toilet paper up to my waist,” the report said. “Feces filled the toilets, and the showers were unusable and filthy.”
The report said the kitchen was moldy, filthy and littered with trash and rotting food.
The kitchen’s appliances also appeared to be unusable, according to the report, and nothing was sanitary to cook with.
“The reporting party told me they ate frozen chicken and frozen burritos, but when they showed me inside of the refrigerator, it was severely neglected, as there was moldy food inside, and it did not meet sanitary standards to store food,” the report said.
The reporting party said they lived at the residence with Brett Phillips, who was reportedly in California during the deputy’s inspection. When the deputy reached Phillips by phone, he said he was aware of the living conditions at the residence and admitted the residence needed to be cleaned up, according to the report.
“Based on the totality of the circumstances, Brett Philips allowed them to live within the residence, which was unsanitary, unhealthy and unlivable, when he willfully caused a child less than 18 years of age, to suffer unjustifiable and mental suffering because of being placed in the situation,” the report said.
The report did not state the nature of the relationship between the reporting party, Phillips and the residents living at the home.
Phillips was eventually located and taken into custody on March 17 o one count of child abuse.
Bail amount was set at $10,000.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes.
