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Fernley chief deputy details arrest after three juveniles taken from park
Summary
Lyon County Chief Deputy Mitch Braningham described a multi-hour response that located three juveniles hidden in a crawl space and led to the arrest of a suspect booked on multiple felony counts; deputies found drugs, firearms and altered vehicle plates, and prosecutors are pursuing a no-bail hold.
Chief Deputy Mitch Braningham of the Lyon County Sheriff's Office told the Fernley City Council that deputies located three juveniles who had been coerced from a neighborhood park and took a suspect into custody after a brief on-scene investigation.
Braningham said the sequence began between about 5:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. when three juveniles at the swings on Corey Way were approached by a male suspect. Dispatch received calls beginning about 6:18 p.m., deputies arrived in the area within minutes and, after narrowing the search by cellphone pings and a reporting party's app, found the juveniles hiding in a crawl space; the suspect was detained and booked by 7:03 p.m.
"We located the juveniles in a crawl space," Braningham said, describing a near‑simultaneous set of events in which deputies were searching as victims were calling 911. He said investigators recovered evidence including a vehicle with obscured plates, altered identifying details, firearms and a large quantity of methamphetamine, and that the suspect had used false names and IDs.
Braningham said investigators are treating the case seriously and are working with federal immigration authorities and the district attorney's office. "We're working with immigration to process the federal charges on them," he said, and added that the department requested a no‑bail hold and is coordinating with prosecutors to meet constitutional requirements for detention.
Council members thanked deputies for the rapid response. Councilman Hannon called the return of the children "a success story for us and for you," and the mayor and council commended the sheriff's staff for quickly locating the victims.
Braningham said the investigation remains active, with detectives collecting camera footage and seeking witnesses, and he told council he would provide updates as more information becomes available.
