Children locked in kennel one in critical condition

Las Vegas police officers found six children suffering from varying levels of alleged abuse, two were found locked in a dog kennel, and one was in critical condition.

Travis Doss, 31, and Amanda Stamper, 33, were arrested as a result.

Police were called to a convenience store for a woman (Stamper) who was hiding from her husband  (Doss) because “he threatened to kill her,”  said reports.

“Amanda admitted to the officer]that Travis is her pimp and he makes her prostitute for money,” documents said. Officers went to their apartment where Stamper warned police that “there were children locked in a dog kennel,” said officers.

Police found two children padlocked in a kennel, officers reported. The children’s dates of birth put their ages at 9 and 11. One child could not walk, he was suffering from “two black eyes that were swollen shut, multiple marks and bruises all over his body, and he was emaciated,” said police.

During a court hearing Monday, prosecutors said Doss allegedly targeted one child, the 11-year-old.

The child told investigators he was locked in the kennel for “stealing food at night,” documents said. His injuries were so severe he had a high probability of passing away had he not been taken to a hospital.

7  children lived in the home, Doss is the father of 6, and Stamper has 1 child, a 2-year-old, who was not abused.  Stamper left with her child to get help, said prosecutors. Stamper’s public defender advised that she was five months pregnant as of Monday.

Stamper told officers that  Doss “is violent towards all the children” except the 2-year-old, police said. Stamper said he hits the children with “belts, extension cords, skillets, his hands and feet,” documents said. “Amanda said all the children are covered with marks from their neck down.”

Documents state that Doss told Stamper he believed the older child to be deceased in the kennel because he had “kicked him in the head too hard.” Stamper reportedly said to police the child “looked dead for the last five days.” Later that morning is when Doss threatened to kill her, which prompted her to escape, police said.

Doss said his wife, Amanda Stamper, would not help with the children because she wasn’t their mother. He says he has never witnessed Amanda hit the children.

Doss reportedly said he knew he “beat the child pretty bad” but he had “no choice,” said documents.

“Each and every child has scars, loop marks, belt marks, permanent marks of their physical abuse that this defendant witnessed over a period of at least one year and she did absolutely nothing,”  said prosecutors in regard to Stamper.

“If she had done anything, she would have been subjected to serious, serious abuse,”  Stamper’s public defender said in court.

Both Doss and Stamper are facing six counts of child abuse or neglect resulting in substantial bodily harm.

In addition, Doss faces charges of sex trafficking and attempted murder.

Court records show that Doss’ bail was set at $250,000 and Stamper’s at $120,000