Las Vegas police arrest mother in shooting death of 3-year-old boy

The mother of a 3-year-old boy who was shot and killed Wednesday evening at a northeast Las Vegas apartment complex has been arrested, Las Vegas police announced Thursday.

Jasmin Vargas, 25, was arrested on suspicion of child abuse or neglect resulting in significant bodily or mental harm, Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Dave Valenta, with the department’s abuse and neglect detail, said during a press briefing Thursday morning.

Valenta said the boy was shot when Vargas’ new gun went off as she was “showing it off to some friends in an inappropriate manner.”

“During this she mishandled it, discharging the firearm, which did go off, striking her own 3-year-old son,” he said.

About 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, police were called to the Pacific Legends East apartment complex, near Arlington Street and Charleston Boulevard, after a woman reported a toddler had been shot, Valenta told reporters outside the scene.

The boy was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he died.

Valenta said his department had responded to three other accidental gun deaths this year alone and emphasized the importance of getting gun training and keeping firearms locked away when they are not being used. Nothing is more tragic than a preventable death, he said.

“We go on too many of these each year,” Valenta said Wednesday. “People need to take much better care of their firearms.”

Samonte Lewis, 18, was arrested in July after he told police he and his brother were playing with a gun when it accidentally went off, killing 16-year-old Samarion Lewis.

In September police were called to the 5500 block of Ness Ave. after a 15-year-old accidentally shot his relative’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Tuttle Alfonzo. After a review from the Clark County district attorney’s office, the boy was arrested. The next day, 14-year-old Zaishaun White fatally shot Arthur Davis, 16, during a fight over a video game. White was arrested and is being charged as an adult.

Judge sets bail

Vargas refused to be transported to a courtroom for the hearing in her case and remained jailed in the Clark County Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure on Thursday ordered Vargas held on $80,000 bail on two counts of child abuse or neglect resulting in significant bodily or mental harm. He noted that another of Vargas’ children was present at the time of the shooting but not injured.

“This is an incredibly serious allegation, an obviously tragic allegation,” the judge said. “It’s very serious conduct, very negligent conduct.”

Should Vargas post bail, she would be subject to electronic monitoring, and the judge ordered that she comply with Child Protective Services and not possess any weapons.

Deputy Public Defender Josie Bayudan told the judge that Vargas had “strong ties to the community,” including a mother and siblings who lived in Las Vegas.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Peter Thunell said Vargas had no criminal history but he had asked the judge to increase her bail to $100,000.

“I don’t think I need to tell this court what a tragic situation we have here, and what a horrific thing that has happened,” Thunnell said. “Unfortunately, it was due to the reckless actions of this defendant.”

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writers David Ferrara and Sabrina Schnur contributed to this report.