Officials: Day care where child drowned had proper licenses

A North Las Vegas day care where a toddler drowned Tuesday was licensed with both the city and state and had passed a July inspection, officials said today.

The 18-month-old boy who died, identified today as Jordan Williams, and an unidentified 3-year-old boy fell into the residential backyard pool about 3:15 p.m.

The boys, who were not related, were taken to University Medical Center, where Jordan was pronounced dead. The 3-year-old was in good condition late Tuesday, North Las Vegas police said.

The two boys were staying at Marisela’s Family Day Care, a facility in a single-story home at 4731 Gunlock Circle, near Lone Mountain Road and Decatur Boulevard, operated by Marisela and Ramon Carvajal.

Authorities ordered the facility to close Tuesday pending the outcome of a criminal investigation. It wasn’t immediately known how long the investigation would take.

Police spokeswoman Chrissie Coon said details of the death, including how the children gained access to the pool, will not be released until the end of the police probe.

Officials from the city and the state, which licensed the business, also declined to release details, citing an ongoing investigation.

But an official with the Southern Nevada Health District, which inspects such facilities twice a year, said the Carvajals had obtained the necessary licenses and permits to operate the day care, including a permit from the health district.

Mark Bergtholdt, environmental health supervisor for the health district, said residential day care facilities are allowed to have pools as long as they meet certain safety requirements.

The health district requires a barrier that is at least 5-feet-high separating the pool from areas accessible to children.

Any gates to the pool must lock and be equipped with self-closing mechanisms that are at least 3 1/2 feet above the ground.

Also, a pool cannot be used by children in care during business hours.

Bergtholdt said the health district last inspected the day care in July.

“We did two inspections last year. It (the facility) passed both inspections,” Bergtholdt said.

The facility also holds licenses through the city of North Las Vegas and the state.

Both entities require residential day cares to have permits from the health district and require background checks for all those who work in the day care.

Marisela’s Family Day Care serves up to six children from birth to age 12, according to the Web site of the Nevada Bureau of Services for Child Care.

Review-Journal writer Brian Haynes contributed to this report. Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.