BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – A Green Bay couple has been charged with committing multiple crimes while leaving their children unsupervised in public.
34-year-old Gustavo Cantu faces 13 criminal charges, including counts of Possession of Narcotics, Retail Theft, and Child Neglect.
35-year-old Nicole Twocrow is charged with seven similar criminal counts.
According to the criminal complaint, Green Bay Police found the pair passed out in a vehicle that was parked in a lot on Walnut and Chestnut streets at around 3:15 pm Tuesday.
Officers say the couple appeared to have overdosed on heroin and claim there were several capped needles in the vehicle.
Cantu allegedly woke up, was uncooperative, and was tazed by officers after multiple attempts to flee.
Twocrow reportedly did not wake up, prompting officers to administer Narcan, the drug that is known to counteract the effects of an opiate overdose.
Both were checked at the hospital before being taken to the Brown County Jail.
Less than one hour before the two were taken into custody, officers received a report of a retail theft from the West Mason Street Walmart store.
Store officials say a man and a woman put a $400 laptop computer in a white bag and walked out of the store without paying for the item.
Investigators say Twocrow’s vehicle matched the description of the one tied to the crime.
Furthermore, officers say they found a white bag in the couple’s vehicle, although the computer was not located.
After Cantu and Twocrow were taken into custody, officers learned that their three children, ages 7, 13, and 14, were left unsupervised at city parks.
Police located two of the kids at Eisenhower Park, while the other was found at Joanne’s Park.
One of the children reportedly told officers that their parents would leave the family’s apartment on a near daily basis, telling the kids to play at the parks or fend for themselves.
Bond has been set at $10,000 cash for Cantu and $5,000 for Twocrow.
Cantu has a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 21 while Twocrow’s adjourned initial appearance is set for July 27.
