Father Left Twin Toddlers in Hot Car Outside Nightclub for 2.5 Hours, Albuquerque Police Say

Stephan Natseway, 27, allegedly locked his 20-month-old twin sons in a sweltering car outside a New Mexico nightclub, telling police he couldn't leave because people were dancing with him.

Albuquerque Father Held Without Bond After Twins Found Unconscious in Locked Car

A 27-year-old Albuquerque father allegedly left his 20-month-old twin sons locked inside a sweltering car outside a nightclub for approximately two and a half hours, telling officers he "wanted time for himself" and could not leave because "people were dancing with him," Law & Crime reports.

Stephan Natseway was arrested and charged with two counts each of child abuse not resulting in great bodily harm, child abandonment not resulting in great bodily harm, and open child abuse. Police also took Natseway's friend, Orry Morris, into custody on allegations that he knew the children had been left in the vehicle while both men were inside the bar, according to court records.

Security guard spotted the children just after 1 a.m.

Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department responded to the Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon, located in the 9800 block of Montgomery Blvd. NE, at 1:34 a.m. Saturday after a security guard reported seeing two small children alone in the back seat of a parked vehicle. The guard also reported that the children were sweating, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime.

By the time officers arrived, security personnel had already broken the driver's side window to access the vehicle. As officers began tending to the boys, two men approached and identified the car as theirs.

Natseway told police he had arrived at the nightclub at approximately 10:30 p.m., though door records showed his identification was scanned by staff at 10:54 p.m. The emergency call came in at 1:33 a.m., placing the twins inside the locked vehicle for roughly two and a half hours.

Boys found drenched in sweat, described as extremely lethargic

The toddlers were found strapped into car seats — which were not secured to the vehicle — with the windows rolled up. Local NBC affiliate KOB reported that officers described the children as drenched in sweat and extremely lethargic.

"The kids were very lethargic, seemed to be unconscious at the time but they were breathing," Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told local Fox affiliate KRQE. "Once they pulled them out of car seats they started to come to and regain consciousness. Officers noticed right away their clothes were drenched with sweat, they had soiled themselves."

Body-camera footage obtained by local news outlets captured officers' reactions as they pulled the boys from the vehicle. "Oh he is just soaked. He is soaked," one officer said, according to KOB. Another officer, pulling out the second child, responded: "My guy is too."

Natseway: no family available, stayed because of the dancing

After being handcuffed and placed in a patrol vehicle, Natseway agreed to speak with investigators. According to the affidavit, police wrote that he "advised he left his children in the vehicle while he went to Dirty Bourbon to have time for himself." He told officers he had tried to contact family members to watch the children for the evening, but none were available. He then drove to the bar and, in his own account, "would not have stayed long but due to people dancing with him he was unable to leave."

Prosecutors argued in a detention motion that Natseway "endangered the lives and safety of his two children by leaving them in a hot car." Court documents obtained by the Santa Fe New Mexican stated: "They are unable to care for themselves. Security found them sweating and alone in a car for approximately 2½ hours. Even if the heat is not accounted for, the Defendant placed the children in danger so that he could go dancing. While they were alone in the car, a stranger could have kidnapped the children."

Officers noted Natseway showed no concern for the boys

Gallegos told KRQE that after the children were pulled from the vehicle, Natseway did not ask about their condition. "In that little bit of time he didn't ask once how the children were, if they were OK or not," Gallegos said. "That did strike the officers, they did comment on that he didn't show much concern about what was going on with the kids."

Body-camera footage also captured Natseway asking officers whether he was going to jail. "It just appeared like he had no remorse. He was more concerned about the fact that he was in trouble," Gallegos said.

Charges against friend later dropped

While Morris was initially charged in connection with the incident, prosecutors subsequently dropped those charges as the investigation continued, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Natseway was being held at the Metro Detention Center without bond as of Tuesday afternoon, court records show.

Source: Law & Crime