A New Mexico father allegedly left his twin toddlers in a hot car while he danced: ‘I wanted time for myself’

A 27-year-old New Mexico father allegedly left his 20-month-old twin sons locked inside a car outside a nightclub for about 2½ hours while he went inside. According to Law&Crime, Stephan Natseway told police he went to Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon because he “wanted time for himself” after being unable to find a family member to watch the children.

Albuquerque Police Department officers were called to the nightclub at about 1:34 a.m. Saturday after a security guard reported seeing two children alone in the back seat of a vehicle. The guard said the boys were sweating, and security workers broke the driver’s-side window to get them out before officers arrived.

Police said the twins were strapped into car seats with the vehicle’s windows rolled up, although the seats were not secured to the vehicle. Officers described the children as drenched in sweat and extremely lethargic, with one police spokesperson saying they appeared close to unconsciousness but were still breathing when they were found, underscoring why children left alone in hot cars can quickly become a serious emergency.

Police say the twins were left inside while their father stayed at the club

Natseway reportedly arrived at the nightclub around 10:30 p.m., and employees scanned his identification at 10:54 p.m. The emergency call came in at approximately 1:33 a.m., while the twins remained inside the vehicle and their father stayed at the nightclub.

According to the affidavit, Natseway initially intended to stay only briefly but remained inside because “people were dancing with him.” He also told police that he knew the children were still inside the vehicle while he was at the club.

After the boys were removed from the car, police said they began regaining consciousness. Their clothing was reportedly soaked with sweat, and officers also observed that the children had soiled themselves.

Natseway’s friend, Orry Morris, was also arrested after police alleged that he knew the children had been left inside the vehicle while the adults were at the nightclub. Prosecutors later dropped the charges against Morris.

Natseway faces two counts each of child abuse not resulting in great bodily harm, child abandonment not resulting in great bodily harm, and open child abuse. Prosecutors alleged that leaving the toddlers unattended in the vehicle endangered their safety, while hot car deaths leading to murder charges have shown how seriously some cases involving children left in vehicles can be treated.

Police also documented Natseway’s behavior after officers intervened. Albuquerque police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said Natseway did not ask about the children’s condition and instead asked officers whether he was going to jail.

Natseway was being held at the Metro Detention Center without bond as of Tuesday afternoon, according to detention records.