Carson City caregiver accused of cutting mentally disabled client with scissors

A 22-year-old caregiver was arrested Sunday for suspicion of battery with a deadly weapon and alleged abuse by a mental health provider, a Carson City sheriff's report states.

Joseph Marseguerra was taken into custody at 8:28 p.m. following an investigation. According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatched to an assisted living facility after it was discovered a client was cut with a pair of scissors.

A deputy entered the residence and made contact with the victim who would not communicate. When the deputy asked where he was cut he pointed to his chest and lifted his shirt where the officer observed a laceration on his chest. Carson City Fire Department paramedics arrived on scene and assessed the victim for injuries, the arrest report states.

Deputies took photos of the chest injury and cut underwear that was discovered. The deputy also located the scissors used in the incident, which were booked into evidence. Staff at the assisted living facility informed deputies the victim suffered from mental disabilities due to a traumatic brain injury and is bi-polar, the arrest report states.

Deputies interviewed a female caregiver at the facility who stated she went to assist with the victim to get him dressed, and asked for assistance from Marseguerra, as the victim tends to get aggressive with female staff.

She said she and Marseguerra attempted to remove the victim's underwear to put on fresh clean ones. When the victim told them he would not allow them to remove his underwear, the suspect, threatened to cut his underwear off with scissors if he did not comply, which later the suspect is alleged to have ended up doing, the arrest report states.

The female staff member said she attempted to put a shirt and sweater on the victim, but he continued to refuse, and that he kicked his feet around and started throwing items. She said that is when Marseguerra cut the client with the scissors. The female staffer said she and Marseguerra were both in shock of what happened, and that the victim began crying and that Marseguerra told him "sorry bud, but I did not think I was going to cut that deep," the arrest report states.

The female staffer said she addressed the wound with a cloth and warm water and stated the suspect was telling her of ways they could cover up the incident, but she did not feel comfortable with covering it up. The female staffer said she called another caregiver and her supervisors and told them of the incident. She stated she was told to call 911, the arrest report states.

Deputies then spoke with a third caregiver who arrived on scene of the incident who said he received a phone call from the female staffer saying something had happened. The person arrived and was informed of what happened, and said he was told the suspect did not want to get arrested so he lied to deputies by telling them that the victim attacked both himself and the female staffer and that he cut the victim with scissors, the arrest report states.

The suspect was read his Miranda warning. He stated he did not want to talk about the incident. Based on the statements from the female staff member and the visible laceration on the victim's chest, Marseguerra was arrested. He was taken to jail and booked for suspicion of felony battery with a deadly weapon and abuse of a patient by a mental health provider, also a felony.

At jail the suspect told a deputy he had been employed by the assisted living facility for only a couple of weeks, the report states. Total bail amount listed: $50,000.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.