The lawyer for an Indian Hills mother of five, accused of ignoring her 14-month-old son's fractured arm and leg for 10 days, told a judge Wednesday his client wants treatment to kick her methamphetamine addiction.
Lawyer Joel Barber said April Mastrian, 29, wanted to stay in Douglas County Jail until she could enter an in-patient treatment program.
Barber said he had reached tentative agreement with prosecutor Kris Brown that Mastrian would plead guilty to child neglect rather than child abuse or neglect causing substantial bodily harm.
If convicted of the felony neglect charge, Mastrian faces up to six years in prison.
East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl ordered her to appear in District Court on April 17 to enter a plea.
That allows her time to be admitted to drug treatment and complete a 28-day program.
"The longer she stays in here, the better she stays away from the powder," Barber said. "If she fails, if she screws up, if she messes up, she's back," he said.
EnEarl warned Mastrian to stay clean.
"For what it's worth, staying away from the temptations of methamphetamine until you complete your in-patient treatment is a sound decision. You need help or you wouldn't be here," he said.
Mastrian did not speak at her hearing, but nodded her head in agreement.
According to court documents, Mastrian is accused of not reporting the injuries to her 14-month-old son that she alleged occurred Nov. 9, 2005, at the hands of her former boyfriend, a 32-year-old Carson City resident.
The baby's injuries were not treated for 10 days until an alarmed child care worker contacted the little boy's grandmother who took him to a doctor on Nov. 18.
Mastrian told deputies she failed to report the alleged abuse because she was afraid she would get in trouble for leaving the baby, his twin sister and two other children in the care of a known methamphetamine addict.
The Carson City man has not been charged in the incident.
The children and Mastrian's oldest daughter are in the care of her mother.
n An Indian Hills man who authorities claim is a convicted sex offender is set to appear in court March 1 to answer charges that he tried to obtain a fake driver's license.
Francisco Medina, 33, was arrested Feb. 15 at the Minden office of the Department of Motor Vehicles when he tried to pick up a new driver's license he had applied for a month earlier. Authorities said he had a phony Social Security number.
He was charged with possession of a document to establish a false identification and was held on $10,000 bail in Douglas County Jail.
According to prosecutor Mike McCormick, Medina has convictions for a felony sex offense and two driving under the influence charges.
East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl reduced Medina's bail to $1,500 cash and told Medina he could not drive.
n The Douglas County Sheriff's Office reported seven contacts for domestic violence Feb. 15-21.
Five contacts were verbal domestics and two arrests were for domestic battery.
There were no contacts for juveniles. The Family Support Council submitted two requests to East Fork Justice Court for temporary restraining orders which were approved.
One request for a anti-stalking and harassment order was approved with a second request pending a hearing.
Connie Richardson, sheriff's office domestic violence prevention coordinator, said the average range for contacts this time of year is 10-12 per week with juvenile contacts at 0-2 per week.
