No cause found in death of NLV toddler found stuffed in box

The coroner could not determine the cause and manner of death for a 3-year-old girl whose body was found stuffed in a box in the back of a car in North Las Vegas in April, staff said Thursday.

Bessie Lachaux was dead for weeks when police found her body April 2 at a house in the 6600 block of Wood Thrush Place, near North Decatur Boulevard and the 215 Beltway.

Jondrew Lachaux, 39, and Kellie Phillips, 38, left the girl with her 17-year-old sister around August, police said. The teen had been impregnated by Lachaux, who is her stepfather, police said. Phillips didn’t know her daughter was pregnant, they said.

Both adults were arrested in April.

After Phillips and Lachaux took their other five children, ranging in age from 1 to 9 years, to Oakland, Calif., the teen gave birth to a daughter alone at the family home. Without enough food, the teen, her infant and Bessie became malnourished.

Bessie had breathing problems and died in early March.

When his stepdaughter called to tell Lachaux the toddler had died, he told her to put the girl’s body in a box.

Lachaux returned home in late March, police said, and he helped his stepdaughter move the box into the car, where they covered it with a plastic bin, a blanket and pizza boxes.

After that, police said, Lachaux gave his stepdaughter some baby formula and put her and the infant out on the streets. He put them up for one night in a motel, but otherwise the young mother and baby hung around the Strip and at McCarran International Airport.

The baby became ill at McCarran on April 1, police said, and airport staff called 911. The baby was taken to Sunrise Hospital Medical Center in critical condition. She has since been released.

Police started an investigation at the hospital. That led them to the toddler’s body.

The teen will not face charges, according to the Clark County district attorney’s office. She, her daughter and siblings are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.

Lachaux was arrested April 6 and faces 20 felony charges in the case, including 17 counts of child abuse and one count each of sexual assault, kidnapping and concealing evidence.

Phillips was arrested April 7 and faces 10 counts of child abuse or neglect.

Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV