‘Scared for my life’: Woman claims husband abused her as well as kids in dog cage
A married couple has been indicted on dozens of child abuse charges between them after two children were found locked in a dog cage in their apartment last month.
Travis Doss, 31, and his wife, Amanda Stamper, 33, were both arrested June 11 after Stamper called 911 from a drugstore near Valley View Boulevard and Flamingo Road. Stamper told police she was scared of Doss, and when officers responded to the scene she made comments “regarding the children’s welfare” that led officers to a nearby apartment, according to transcripts of the grand jury hearing.
In a jailhouse interview on Tuesday, Stamper told the Review-Journal that she was also being abused and that the physical abuse against her and her six stepchildren increased in the weeks before she and Doss were arrested. She claimed that she reported to 911 dispatchers that the children were being abused.
“I was scared for my life and my other kids and my family,” she said when asked why she didn’t call police sooner. “It’s hard for people to understand that unless you’re in that situation.”
Six of Doss’ children were found in the apartment, and two were locked inside a dog kennel. One of the two children inside the cage had eyes that were swollen shut and bruises all over his body, and was suffering from extreme malnourishment, according to Metropolitan Police Department arrest reports.
During the grand jury hearing, a detective testified that Doss told police he disciplined the boy for stealing food from the refrigerator or trash can, according to the transcripts.
A doctor told police the boy would have died had he not been taken to University Medical Center, while a nurse informed police that “this is the worst case of abuse she has seen in 13 years,” the report said.
‘Like a million marks on them’
Stamper told police that Doss would beat his children with a heavy wok, extension cords and belts, according to court transcripts.
“She said they have, quote, like a million marks on them,” a detective testified during the grand jury hearing.
Doss was indicted on July 13 with 33 child abuse charges and two kidnapping charges, court records show. The grand jury indicted Stamper on seven counts of child abuse charges, and she was accused of failing to protect the children from substantial bodily harm.
The grand jury also indicted Doss in a separate case with charges of sex trafficking and living from the earnings of a prostitute with physical force or threat of physical force, court records show. Stamper testified against Doss and said that she earned money for Doss through selling sex.
Stamper said she had initially moved from Atlanta to Las Vegas with Doss in January 2018 to earn money as a sex worker, but added she felt like she had no choice. She testified that she had a young child with Doss, and he would threaten to take the child away from her. Stamper also testified that Doss beat her.
On Tuesday, Stamper said that Doss got custody of his six children and moved them to Las Vegas within the past four years. She said that two of them had been to school at one point but that Doss pulled them out.
Police body-camera footage released by the District Court showed officers attempting to enter the couple’s apartment last month. Officers spent more than 10 minutes convincing one child to let them inside.
“We want to make sure you guys aren’t hurt,” an officer said as a faint voice is heard responding from the other side of the door.
‘Always been pretty bad’
Police found the children inside the dark apartment with multiple dogs. At one point, an officer asks for bolt cutters to open the cage with two of the children inside.
Stamper said that Doss bought the cage days before he was arrested.
“It’s always been pretty bad. Anytime I tried to stand up for them though he would lash out at me,” she claimed.
The two appeared for a brief court hearing Tuesday morning, but the hearing was delayed for a week to determine if Doss will hire a new attorney.
Both remained in custody on Tuesday.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.