Investigators said four children and several animals were found inside a house filled with waste and spoiled food.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A police inquiry that began with an 8-year-old boy being hit by a car led detectives to remove four children from a Las Vegas home described in court records as unlivable.
The case centers on what investigators said they found after the Sunday night crash near Lamb and Las Vegas boulevards. Police said the injured boy and a sibling were outside alone at night, prompting abuse and neglect detectives to investigate the family home and the care of all four children.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said detectives obtained a warrant and entered a home they described as being in “complete shambles.” The arrest report said trash, insects and animal feces covered the floors. Investigators said the refrigerator did not work, the food inside had spoiled, damaged furniture filled the home and the smell of animal urine was strong throughout the property. The children were dirty, police wrote, and several feral cats were found inside along with four dogs later taken by Animal Control.
The report said the children likely depended at times on friends or neighbors for food. One child told detectives he worked odd jobs for a neighbor and used the money to buy milk or other food. Police wrote that the children had been exposed to toxic fumes from cat urine and had lived in a room covered in dog feces. Investigators said the condition of the property was so poor that it should be condemned. Authorities have not released the children’s names.
The 8-year-old boy’s injuries brought the case to police attention. The arrest report said he suffered a brain bleed, a broken leg, facial cuts, bruises and other injuries after the crash. Police have not released an updated medical condition for the boy. Investigators also have not said whether the crash driver faces charges, leaving the collision and the neglect case on separate but connected tracks.
The children’s parents, Mark Ecott, 35, and Aubrey Lambdin, 30, appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court Thursday. They face five counts of child abuse or neglect, including one count tied to substantial bodily harm. Pro tem Judge Lisa Luzaich set Ecott’s bail at $20,000 and barred him from contact with minors, including the children in the complaint. Lambdin remained detained because of a suspended sentence in another case and received a similar no-contact order.
Lambdin told a detective that she and Ecott had separated about two months earlier after a 13-year relationship and that she was living elsewhere. Ecott told investigators the day had been normal and that the children had been playing with other neighborhood children. Police said Child Protective Services took custody of the children after seeing the home. Both parents received court-appointed attorneys, and the case is scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 16.
The children remain out of the home as the criminal case continues. The next court date is July 16, when a judge is expected to decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to move the charges forward.
Author note: Last updated July 5, 2026.