Chadron woman arrested for child abuse

Police arrested Florine Black Eyes on Thursday, August 15, for child abuse, a Class IIIA felony, in connection with an investigation that began on Wednesday, August 14. Black Eyes is being held in the Dawes County Jail and bail has been set at 10% of $75,000, according to information released by Chadron Police Chief Rick. Hickstein.

According to Hickstein, Chadron police officers responded to a home at 634 Main St. around 8 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a 911 call reporting a 2-year-old child was not awake and was having trouble breathing. Upon arrival, the child was conscious and in respiratory distress and was taken to Chadron Community Hospital for treatment.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the child's neck had become trapped in the rear passenger window of a passenger vehicle, causing the child to lose consciousness and experience respiratory distress following a trip to a local restaurant.

According to court documents, the child had gone to the restaurant with another family member and they had returned. The child remained in the car while the relative and the other children returned to the apartment. Court documents accuse Black Eyes of going back to the car to roll up the windows because it was raining. The mother was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

The child was stuck in the window for an estimated three minutes before he could be freed.

Hickstein said adult and juvenile witnesses were interviewed about the incident and a search warrant was obtained for a home in Chadron. During the search, a video camera and the vehicle involved in the incident were seized as evidence.

As a result of the investigation, the child and two other siblings were removed from the home. Three juveniles were removed from the home, as well as the children's mother. The children are in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which is also assisting with the investigation.