“Extremely intoxicated” RivCo nurse caring for disabled child hospitalized, later arrested
TWENTYNINE PALMS — An in-home licensed vocational nurse who was found in an “extremely intoxicated” state while she was supposed to be caring for a disabled 4-year-old in Twentynine Palms. The woman was later arrested at a hospital, where she was taken for treatment due to her level of intoxication.
Officials investigating the incident say when the young child’s mother returned home and found the nurse passed out drunk Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 14, her child was having difficulty breathing and she immediately called 911.
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Deputies assigned to the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station began their investigation about 1:30 p.m., after learning Traci Sparks, 48, of Yucca Valley, had been transported to High Desert Medical Center for treatment, San Bernardino Deputy Dominguez explained in a written press release. Sparks is employed by a nursing service out of Riverside County, according to Dominguez.
Deputies contacted Sparks at the hospital and confirmed she was highly intoxicated and incapable of caring for herself or her young patient, who suffers from a medical condition requiring regular cleaning of her medical equipment, so she can breathe freely.
SBSO detectives assisted in the investigation and later located evidence at the victim’s residence that indicated Sparks had been consuming alcohol at the victim’s home while she was supposed to be caring for the child.
Sparks was subsequently arrested at HDMC and later booked into the Morongo Basin Jail for Wilful Child Endangerment. She remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective Pennington at Morongo Basin Station at (760)366-4175. Callers can refer to incident file number 201801683 and can remain anonymous.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact We-Tip at 1-888-78-CRIME (27463), or can leave information on the department’s We-Tip Hotline.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.
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