In-home nurse arrested after becoming intoxicated and failing to care for disabled child
DATE/TIME: November 14, 2018, at approximately 1:33 p.m.
INCIDENT: Wilful Child Endangerment
LOCATION: 72200 block of Sun Valley Drive, Twentynine Palms
SUSPECT: Traci Sparks, 48 years old female resident of Yucca Valley
VICTIM: Confidential
SUMMARY: On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at about 1:33 p.m., Deputy Dominguez assigned to the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station received information about a nurse, Traci Sparks, who was found unconscious and extremely intoxicated while caring for a four-year-old disabled child. The disabled child suffers from a medical condition requiring regular cleaning of equipment, so the child can freely breathe. The child's mother noticed her child was having difficulty breathing when she returned home and found Sparks passed out.
Sparks was transported to High Desert Medical Center (HDMC) for treatment. Sparks is a Licensed Vocational Nurse for a nursing service out of Riverside County. Deputy Dominguez contacted Sparks at the hospital and confirmed she was intoxicated. Detective Pennington assisted in the investigation and located evidence related to Sparks consuming alcohol at the residence while caring for the child.
Sparks was arrested at HDMC and booked into the Morongo Basin Jail for Wilful Child Endangerment 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. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may contact We-Tip at 1-888-78-CRIME (27463), or you may leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com.
Refer: Deputy Bryan Dominguez or Detective Alan Pennington
Station: Morongo Basin Station
Phone No. (760) 366-4175
Case No. 201801683
JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
Address/Location
SBSD - Morongo Basin Sheriff's Department
63665 Twentynine Palms Highway
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1