Nevada: Tiffany Brooks, 34, faces multiple child, animal abuse charges

NEVADA -- A 34-year-old woman from the small town of Vya in Northwest Washoe County faces multiple child neglect and animal abuse charges in what the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said was one of the worst habitats for either children or animals they’ve ever seen.

The sheriff’s office took Tiffany Brooks into custody Monday on seven counts of child neglect, two counts of animal cruelty and five counts of failure to provide for a confined animal. Brooks’ boyfriend and father of one of her seven children Brandon Quinonez, 24, was also arrested on one count of child neglect and one count of violating parole.

Deputies first responded to the property on County Road 34 around 200 miles north of Reno near the Black Rock Desert Monday afternoon to perform a welfare check on Brooks’ children, ranging in age from infancy to 17. The sheriff’s office said in a news release no one was home at the time, but officers saw the property was in disarray with broken down cars, hazardous material containers, garbage and fuel containers strewn about.

Officers noticed two horses in a corral that appeared to be malnourished with no source of food or water visible. The sheriff’s office said the horses also showed physical signs of neglect with patches of hair missing and long, unkempt hooves.

They also found five dogs caged on the property and one running loose.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the home and found unsecured weapons, unsecured prescription medication, unsecured power tools, animal feces, rotting food and piles of garbage throughout the house.

Brooks and Quinonez arrived home with four of her children while deputies were searching the premises. The two were taken into custody based on the living conditions.

Brooks' seven children were taken in by Washoe County Child Protective Services around 4:45 p.m. Thursday. The horses are in the care of Washoe County Regional Animal Services.

Sheriff Spokesman Bob Harmon said the investigation is ongoing.

“We’re proceeding forth from there, but this is definitely one of the worst cases we’ve seen in terms of hazardous and unhealthy conditions both for the children and animals as well,” he said.

Harmon asked anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office at 775-328-3001 or Secret Witness at 775-322-4900, secretwitness.com or test the tip to 847411 with the keyword “SW.”

(Reno Gazette Journal - Oct 8, 2015)