Survivors of Carson City infant hostage situation now facing potential eviction

It was a day like any other when ShaRae Staley woke on August 3 in her home on N. Edmonds Street in Carson City. She received a message from her husband, who she had separated from six weeks previous, that he wanted to come over and make their children breakfast and take them to the park. ShaRae agreed, as any mother would.

When her husband, Cortney Staley, arrived, nothing seemed amiss. He came and made their children breakfast, and she went to work.

However, throughout the day, she began receiving text messages from Cortney that indicated something was off. She learned he had not taken their children to the park as he had said, but instead had stayed in her apartment against her wishes and began drinking.

“He was always a good father,” said ShaRae. “He was hardworking and considerate. He would stop and help people on the side of the road. But when he drank, he became a different person entirely, which is why I left.”

When ShaRae arrived back to her apartment, she told Cortney he needed to come outside and leave, but he refused. She called the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and when they arrived, the worst hours of her life began.

Cortney allowed the older children to leave the apartment, but kept their infant, not yet a year old, inside. He had a gun, and began threatening law enforcement agencies as well as himself and the baby.

“He had never, ever been violent with our children,” said ShaRae. “Never. It was beyond shocking.”

Cortney appeared to be suffering from a psychotic breakdown, said ShaRae, fueled by alcohol. He began a stand off with deputies that lasted nearly five hours during which time, he fired several shots within the residence.

“Every time I heard a shot, I feared the worst had happened,” said ShaRae. “But never once did I accept that my baby was dead.”

Her neighbors on the street offered her and her family comfort during the standoff, said ShaRae. They offered to bring toys and shoes to her older children, allowed them to play on their jungle gym equipment, and offered to take them inside to eat.

“It was incredibly touching,” said ShaRae. “I feel guilty for inconveniencing everyone, but they all helped so much.”

ShaRae spent most of the day and evening outside the residence with deputies, curled into a ball and fearing the worst for her youngest, infant child.

But the worst never came. After several hours of failed negotiations, SWAT entered the residence and rescued the infant. Cortney was killed in the process.

“I struggle between feeling happy and sad,” said ShaRae. “I’m happy, beyond happy and so relieved that my baby was okay. But I’m sad that an officer, a parent, had to go into that situation and shoot another parent. I’m sad that they will have to carry that with them for the rest of their life, but they did what they had to do to save my child. It’s a horrible, sad situation all around.”

What ShaRae wants most, now, is to be left alone so she and her family can heal. She is suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and her children are confused why they can’t talk to their father.

“It’s heartbreaking, completely heartbreaking,” said ShaRae.

However, ShaRae and her four children are not being given the opportunity to rest and heal from their traumatic ordeal, because her landlord, David Sanchez, is now threatening her family with eviction if she does not pay his insurance premium.

Instead of planning her baby’s first birthday this week, she is being forced to consider a potential eviction and whether or not she and her four children will be thrown into the street.

According to ShaRae, after the ordeal at her apartment, the property manager moved her and her children into another apartment on the property. Inside the home, there were bullet holes and flooring had to be torn up, and it was an active crime scene for several days after the incident.

ShaRae offered to fix the damages herself, which, she said, Sanchez refused immediately. She then went to different business owners in the community who knew what had happened with her child on August 3, and offered to take on the repairs at a discounted price.

However, Sanchez still refused, and insisted she pay the $2,500 insurance premium or face eviction for she and her family.

ShaRae spoke with local attorney Brad Johnston who agreed to take a look at the situation but is not formally representing her. In emails between Johnston and Sanchez, Johnston said ShaRae had no legal obligation to pay the premium, or even to repair damages. However, ShaRae has offered time and time again to fix the damages based on principle, she said.

“The tenant does have repair obligations under the lease under certain circumstances, but those circumstances do not exist in this case,” said Johnston to Sanchez in the email. “In addition, if ShaRae were to agree to pay your deductible, couldn’t that in turn make her potentially liable to your insurer under a subrogation claim for all repair costs. This is a very unfortunate set of circumstances as you note, but I don’t see how those circumstances obligate ShaRae to reimburse you for your insurance deductible.”

Sanchez responded: “If Miss Staley does not want to reimburse my insurance deductible for damage that she caused under the lease that she signed we will have no option other than to move forward and terminate her agreement under the lease agreement regarding damage to the unit. I will have Miss Staley evicted and sue her for the full amount of damage caused by her ex husband including potential lost rent and my attorneys fees. I have received the insurance checks but I will not cash them. I will pay for all the repairs in full myself.”

Under the Violence Against Women Act, VAWA Protections set parameters on how landlords may treat victims of past or ongoing domestic violence. Under VAWA, landlords cannot evict a victim of domestic violence just because the violence happened on their property, nor can they hold the victim to any higher standard than other tenants.

Failing to provide for a landlord’s insurance deductible is not listed on ShaRae’s lease or under Nevada Law as a justifiable cause for eviction. Evictions can only legally occur if a tenant has failed to uphold their lease, such as failure to pay rent.

Contact was made with Sanchez, who lives in California, by Carson Now. Sanchez refused to comment and said he would not be making any comment in the future.

The community has been incredibly supportive of her and her family, ShaRae said. Her sister began a GoFundMe account for ShaRae and her family, which has raised more than $3,000 to date.

"I'm so grateful for the community's help," said ShaRae. "I'm now a single mother, and the donations will help us get through at least Christmas."

What ShaRae worries about most, is that her children will grow up hearing their father was an evil person.

"He was not an evil person," said ShaRae. "He was an alcoholic. I want them to know the good parts of their father. When he was sober, he was hardworking, considerate, and always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. When they get older, I'll have to explain the rest of what happened, but for now, that's what I want them to know."

At this time, ShaRae has been informed that due to the circumstances of Cortney's death, ShaRae and her family will most likely not be granted access to life insurance funds. So ShaRae will have to make do for now on what she makes as a single mother, and the generous donations of the community to her GoFundMe.

This is a developing story, and we will update with further information when it becomes available.