7th murder charge in Carson; woman faces charges in son’s death

A woman is set to be charged in the death of her 18-month-old son, which would make her the seventh person charged with murder in Carson City this year.

Brittany Paugh was arrested around 6 p.m. Thursday, several hours after a warrant for her arrest was issued, Sheriff Ken Furlong said. She faces charges of first-degree murder by child abuse; second-degree murder by child neglect; abuse, neglect or endangerment of a child causing substantial bodily or mental harm; and second-degree murder by child neglect.

When Paugh discovered the boy was breathing but unresponsive Nov. 11, she called his father, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The father was in the process of moving with his girlfriend at the time. After he arrived at Paugh’s home, they called 911 and the boy was taken to Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center. He then was flown by Care Flight to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.

The boy died later when he was taken off life support. The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear.

An autopsy was performed, and the boy’s brain was sent to a specialist in California for further study. The cause of death later was determined to be homicide due to trauma to the brain.

OTHERS FACING MURDER CHARGES

Furlong said he thinks this is the first time as many as seven people have been charged with murder here in one year. The following people also face charges:

• Makyla Blackmore, 20, Anthony Elliot, 20, Raul Garcia, 22, and Michael Evans, 23, all are charged with open murder against a person 60 or older and burglary in the slaying of William McCune, Nevada’s chief insurance examiner. Elliot, Garcia and Evans allegedly beat McCune to death in his apartment April 2, while Blackmore waited outside after driving the others to McCune’s apartment.

• David Michael Grimes, 32, faces charges of open murder with a deadly weapon and battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm. Grimes, of Dayton, is accused of firing a single shot through James Lay’s chest, puncturing his heart and other organs, before Lay died in front of his Washington Street house in Carson City about 8:35 p.m. Feb. 3.

• Leonardo Cardoza, 27, is charged with the open murder of 19-year-old Desiree Bragg with a deadly weapon and the attempted murder with a deadly weapon of her fiance, Steven Castro. Cardoza allegedly tailgated Desiree Bragg and her fiancé, Castro, 19, from the AM/PM in the 2700 block of U.S. Highway 50, then used his car to ram her into the side of her mother’s house. The alleged incident happened Jan. 26.