A Vancouver couple who neglected their 2-month-old son each received credit for jail time served and were ordered Thursday to complete a parenting class.
Kirk J. Lee, 24, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to fourth-degree criminal mistreatment and attempting to elude police. He was given credit for 61 days in jail and was sentenced to an additional 90 days to be suspended for a year, court records show.
Tamera Weinert, 25, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mistreatment and was given credit for six days in custody, and 358 days were suspended for a year, court documents say.
The couple’s infant was rushed to a local hospital April 13, where a doctor determined the baby had only gained about a pound since birth and had health issues, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Angelia Gavagan called 911 at 9:35 p.m. to report that she was baby-sitting her friend’s son and the infant showed signs of neglect. A medical team responded and determined the baby was malnourished. He was rushed to a local hospital, the affidavit states.
Gavagan told responding Clark County sheriff’s deputies that she’s been friends with Weinert since high school. Weinert and Lee have two children together, the baby and a 6-year-old daughter, she said. The family was homeless, Gavagan said, and had been living in their car, according to court documents.
Gavagan said she was concerned about the well-being of the children and invited Weinert and her family to stay with her for the night.
While watching the children for the couple, Gavagan said the baby became fussy. She and a neighbor, Shawni Pederson, decided to give him a bath, because he had a full soggy diaper and smelled strongly of urine. They discovered that he was filthy and had blisters and a rash on his genitals, the affidavit states.
The baby looked too skinny and was lethargic, Gavagan said, and she had to physically wake him up to feed him. His fingertips were a purple-blue color, and at times, it appeared he struggled to breathe, court records say.
A doctor at the hospital told investigators she was concerned about the baby’s lack of muscle mass and weight gain since birth. The baby weighed 6.14 pounds at birth and had only gained 1.11 pounds since then, according to court documents.
Lee and Weinert returned to Gavagan’s residence that night but fled in their vehicle when they saw law enforcement. Their vehicle was spotted later traveling east on Northeast St. Johns Road near Northeast 88th Street, and a high-speed pursuit ensued. The pursuit was eventually terminated for safety reasons, but the couple was found the next day.
The children had been placed in protective custody, but their current status was not available.
