An Arizona father has been arrested on child abuse charges for allegedly giving his 12- and 13-year-old sons “laughing gas” — nitrous oxide — repeatedly while they were out “4-wheeling” during a visit.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said it took the report on June 4 from the children’s mother, who told them her 16-year-old daughter — who was not on the 4-wheeling trip — “saw a potentially incriminating video taken by one of the boys while out with the suspect showing them inhaling the gas from a balloon.”
The mother and daughter said the man admitted giving the boys the gas.
Detectives learned “that the gas inhaling incidents occurred repeatedly and near continuously for several hours.” One of the boys, the sheriff’s office said, passed out but did not receive medical assistance.
Detectives searched the suspect’s home and found several large canisters of nitrous oxide and balloons used to inhale the gas.
The man, identified as Ryan Belknap by KSAZ, was charged with child abuse endangerment, possession of a vapor releasing subtance containing toxic substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, furnishing harmful items to minors, permitting life, health, or morals to be imperiled by neglect, abuse, or immoral association, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
