Man charged with endangering children

A 32-year-old Gardnerville man was jailed on $56,000 bail after deputies said he held his two children at knifepoint before he passed them unharmed through a bedroom window to a deputy.

Marcel Wyatt was jailed on charges of child endangerment, false imprisonment, destruction of property, and intimidating a public officer with force.

According to reports, the woman called deputies to their Long Valley residence late Sunday because Wyatt kicked in the door to their residence. She fled the scene, but left her children inside because she felt they were asleep and she felt they would be safe with Wyatt. She said she watched the house from a few doors down.

When deputies arrived, they said Wyatt was lying on a bedroom floor with a child under each arm and appeared to be asleep. He awoke to the commotion and slammed the door shut.

An officer saw him with an open blade knife in his hand and heard him threaten to kill deputies. He blocked the door with a small table.

Deputies were able to communicate with him and he eventually tossed the knife out the window. He asked to speak to the children's mother and eventually handed the children to a deputy. He taken into custody after he climbed out the bedroom window.

While deputies were investigating, Wyatt reportedly broke out a patrol car window and was trying to get out head first. He told deputies he was angry because they were taking too long with their investigation.

n A 21-year-old man who told deputies he used heroin every day was jailed Sunday after he scuffled with a Scolaris employee who stopped him from leaving with stolen groceries.

Deputies were called to the Gardnerville grocery Sunday after Joshua Edward VanRoy reportedly tried to leave with two lunch packages, a block of cheese and canned beverages in his pants and sweatshirt.

The employee said he observed VanRoy taking the items and tried to stop him at the door, but the suspect wrestled him to the floor.

Deputies found a hypodermic needle, burnt aluminum, foil, spoon and cotton swabs in VanRoy's pockets.

He reportedly told deputies he uses two grams of heroin daily. He said he lived on the street and was unemployed.

He is to appear before East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl on Dec. 24.

VanRoy was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, battery and petty larceny.