A New Mexico father has been arrested after police say his 20-month-old twin sons were left locked inside a hot car for more than two hours while he went dancing at a bar in Albuquerque.
Stephan Natseway, 27, faces charges of child abuse and abandonment following the incident outside The Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon in the early hours of Saturday, August 29.
Security staff noticed the boys alone in the vehicle and contacted Albuquerque Police Department at about 1.30am. Officers then broke through the front driver’s-side window to reach the children.
The toddlers were found strapped into their seats, which police said had not been secured to the vehicle’s rear seats. Body-worn camera footage captured officers describing the boys as “soaked” with sweat.
Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said the children appeared lethargic and at one point seemed almost unconscious, although they were breathing. Officers also noticed that their clothes were drenched and that they had soiled themselves.
The boys were taken to hospital for assessment and later discharged. New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department said they were released into the care of a family member after tribal social services carried out a home visit.
Father said he wanted time to himself
According to a criminal complaint, Natseway told officers that he had left the children in the car because he wanted time to himself with his friend. He said he had tried to find relatives who could look after them, but no one had been available.
He allegedly told police he had intended to remain at the venue only briefly but stayed longer because people continued dancing with him. Security records reportedly showed that his driving licence was scanned shortly before 11pm on Friday, meaning the children may have been in the vehicle for about two and a half hours.
Natseway was heard telling officers: “I can’t really go to jail tonight.” Prosecutors have accused him of endangering the lives and safety of the boys so that he could go dancing.
The state has applied for him to be held in custody before trial. Natseway made his first court appearance on Monday and was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Centre.
His friend, Orry Morris, who police said was also aware that the children had been left in the car, was arrested on a child abuse charge. Local reports said Morris was released over the weekend.
Temperatures in Albuquerque were about 73F (23C) after 11pm, according to the National Weather Service. Police and prosecutors said a parked vehicle can become dangerously hotter even when outdoor temperatures appear relatively moderate.
Prosecutors said the children, who were unable to care for themselves, had been left exposed not only to the heat but also to the risk of abduction or other harm while unattended.
CYFD said the case was initially handled by the relevant tribe or pueblo under the Indian Child Welfare Act. The tribe later declined to retain jurisdiction, and the department said it would complete its investigation.
The department also said it had investigated two earlier reports of alleged neglect involving Natseway in May and June 2026. Those allegations were not substantiated following interviews with the children’s developmental specialists and physical therapists, while Natseway agreed to continue with recommended family support services.
