Pair’s arraignment in death of 4-year-old delayed

A judge on Friday postponed the arraignment of a Southern Nevada couple accused of staging a car crash in the desert to cover up the slaying of the woman's 4-year-old son.

Trevor Carter, 21, remained held without bail at the North Las Vegas jail while authorities determine whether the public defender's office has a conflict or can represent him on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, a court clerk said.

Amber Scott, 24, was being held on $40,000 bail after telling North Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Pro Tem Maria Maskall that she wants to hire a lawyer to represent her on child abuse and neglect charges, the clerk said. The preliminary hearing is rescheduled for Thursday.

Carter and Scott were arrested Dec. 18 after North Las Vegas police found the boy in a four-door passenger vehicle crashed off a rugged road about a mile north of the northern Las Vegas Beltway.

The Clark County coroner ruled the boy's death a homicide caused by blunt abdominal trauma. Police and prosecutors believe the crash was staged to cover up the boy's death by child abuse.

A 3-year-old girl found unhurt in the car and a 6-year-old child were placed in protective custody after the arrests of Carter and Scott.