Man arrested for child endangerment
At around 11:30 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a dispatch from Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in regards to suspected child abuse. A mother returned home from work to discover that her 21-month-old daughter, who had been in the care of her father, had unexplainable injuries to the side of her face and thigh consistent with open-hand slapping.
The mother stated to officers that she argued with the child's father about how the injuries were acquired and then brought the child to the emergency room. The father, 21-year-old Joseph Rodgers, agreed to come to the Carson City Sheriff's Department for an interview, where he originally stated that his daughter had fallen off her bed. He later changed his statement, alleging that he had seen his daughter hitting her younger brother and spanked her as punishment.
Rodgers was arrested for gross misdemeanor child neglect, abuse, or endangerment. No bail was set.