Parents enter pleas in child abuse case that left infant in freezing car
GRAND HAVEN — Two parents charged with child abuse in Grand Haven after an infant was left in a freezing car have entered pleas.
Phillip Nass, 32, and Crystal Kanouse, 30, were arrested in February for an incident that occurred Jan. 29. Nass and Kanouse allegedly left their 4-month-old baby in the backseat of a car in freezing conditions.
More: Grand Haven parents arrested for child abuse after 4-month-old found in freezing car
Both Nass and Kanouse were charged with second degree child abuse, a felony carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Nass was also charged with being a habitual offender, which could have led to a life sentence.
The Grand Haven Tribune reports that both Nass and Kanouse have entered pleas in the case.
Nass pleaded no contest to a charge of fourth degree child abuse, while the initial charges of second degree child abuse and fourth degree habitual offender were dropped. Kanouse pleaded not guilty to the charge of second degree child abuse.
According to the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, the suspects pulled over on a side street in Grand Haven and passed out in the front seat of the car. The vehicle was turned off and the baby was in the backseat, unsecured in an infant carrier without winter clothing, socks or a blanket.
A passerby noticed the car and its occupants and called 911.
When responders arrived, the baby's feet were blue and his skin was cold to the touch, GHDPS said. He was transported to Trinity Health Grand Haven for treatment and has since recovered.
Subscribe: Receive unlimited digital access to your local news coverage
At the time of the arrest, GHDPS Director Jeff Hawke said the baby “very likely would have died had he remained in the car.”
According to court records, Nass and Kanouse were under the influence of “methamphetamine and other drugs to the point of passing out in a vehicle,” the Grand Haven Tribune reports.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Parents enter pleas in child abuse case that left infant in freezing car
