A 27-year-old father left his twin toddlers locked inside a car outside an Albuquerque saloon to go dancing, police said.
Stephan Natseway, 27, is accused of leaving the 20-month-old boys unattended outside the Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Security staff discovered the children during a parking-lot check around 1:30 a.m. on August 29 and called police.
The boys had allegedly been left alone in the vehicle for about two and a half hours, according to investigators.
Rescuers broke a window to get inside the locked vehicle, police said.
The twins were drenched in sweat, had soiled themselves and appeared unconscious inside the car, police said. The boys were still breathing, however, and began responding after officers lifted them from their car seats.
The vehicle’s windows were rolled up, and the boys’ car seats were not secured to the vehicle, police said.
Natseway allegedly told investigators he had tried to find relatives to babysit before leaving. He found nobody available and went out anyway because he wanted time for himself, police said.
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Police say the father knew the children were there, but stayed inside the venue because “people were dancing with him.”
The father approached while officers were helping the children in the parking lot, police said.
During the encounter, the father did not ask whether his sons were okay, according to police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos. Body-camera reporting described Natseway instead asking whether he was going to jail.
The twins were examined at a hospital and discharged to a family member, officials said.
Child-welfare officials said the boys remained with that relative while the investigation continued.
At a September 2 hearing, prosecutors alleged Natseway had given the twins melatonin before leaving them in the car.
Prosecutors asked the court to keep the accused father jailed through trial, court documents show.
Natseway faces child-abuse and abandonment charges, though he has not been convicted, according to court records.
The judge instead ordered his release on pretrial monitoring. Under the terms of his release, Natseway cannot contact the twins or return to the Dirty Bourbon.
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