3-year-old dies, 2-year-old injured in Carson City fire, mother charged with open murder, child abuse
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 03/28/2023 - 8:23pm
On Tuesday afternoon at 12:07 p.m., March 28, 2023, the Carson City Communications Center received 911 calls of a structure fire at the 500 block of Shoshone Street in South Carson City. The identified property is located on the Carson Colony under the jurisdiction of the Washoe Tribe.
Washoe Tribal Police arrived at the scene at 12:12 and reported the structure “engulfed”. Officers attempted to enter the residence to determine if victims were inside but were unable to make entry due to the smoke and fire. After failed attempts to enter, neighbors informed the Tribal Officers that two children could possibly be inside, as they were often left alone by their mother.
Carson City Fire units arrived on scene at 12:12 and were informed of the possibility that children might well be inside. Immediate rescue operations resulted in the retrieval of two children, ages 2 and 3. Both children were described as unresponsive, but breathing, and were transported to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center. At the scene of the fire, there were no adult caregivers present.
At the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center, the 3 year old (female) was pronounced dead, and the 2-year-old (male) remained in serious condition due to smoke inhalation.
The 2-year-old was transferred to the Renown Medical Center for further treatment. The condition of the 2 year old is not immediately known, but expected to survive. It was later learned that a third child, 8 years old (male), was in school during the fire incident.
While Firefighters were suppressing the fire, the mother of the children, Samantha Rose Paulino, 23 years old, arrived at the scene. Paulino told Officers that she had gone to register for college classes and left the children home.
She was immediately taken into custody for Child Abuse & Neglect by Washoe Tribal Police and transported to the Washoe County Detention Center (the contracted detention center for Tribal Police arrests).
Once on scene at the Washoe Detention Center, Officers learned that Paulino was not of tribal heritage, therefore she was returned to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Detention Center by Tribal Police.
At the request of Washoe Tribal Police and the FBI (having jurisdiction on the Carson Colony and Washoe Tribal persons), the investigation and potential prosecution was ceded to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney. Paulino was booked into the Carson City Jail on the charges of Child Abuse Causing Substantial Bodily Harm and Open Murder. Paulino is being held without bail.
Carson Sheriff’s detectives coordinated their responses with the state Division of Child Protective Services and the Carson City Fire Department. The father of the children was identified as Aldean Street Jr., who was working in Fernley at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Carson City Fire Department authorities.
This investigation remains active. Anyone with information should contact the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 775-283-7856, or 775-887-COPS.
