A Nevada man, 35-year-old Nicholas Loving, is currently being held in custody on charges of child abuse following the tragic death of his two-year-old daughter, Izabella Loving. The incident occurred at their residence in Cold Springs, a community located about 20 miles northwest of Reno, as reported by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Loving is detained at the Washoe County Jail with a bond set at $10 million.
On the morning of April 3, deputies responded to a distress call from the Loving household just before 7 a.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Izabella unconscious, and she was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. The ensuing investigation uncovered substantial evidence of physical abuse inflicted on the toddler.
The allegations were further detailed in a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by local media. The mother of Izabella, who has not been charged, reportedly told investigators that she had seen Loving physically abuse their daughter in the days leading up to her death. This included kicking the child and dragging her across the room by her sweatshirt.
The mother also reported that Izabella had been vomiting blood and mucus for approximately ten days before her death. On the night of the incident, the mother noted that Izabella’s body temperature was slightly below normal, but after a bath, she seemed fine. Loving then put the child to bed in a small, locked box.
According to the affidavit, Loving confessed to occasionally confining Izabella in a small makeshift cubby in the girl’s room. He admitted to locking her inside once, but claimed that it was mostly the mother who placed Izabella in the cubby.
The couple’s other children, aged 4, 7, and 10, woke the parents around midnight, reporting that Izabella was vomiting. Two hours later, Loving found the child unresponsive in the box. Instead of immediately calling 911, Loving allegedly began to strategize his next moves to protect himself. The mother claimed that Loving forbade her from calling emergency services.
Initially, Loving allegedly suggested that the family bury Izabella’s body in the backyard and flee. However, he later proposed a different plan. According to the complaint, they decided to move Izabella and her bed across the room and stage the scene, fabricating a story about finding her at 7 a.m. and attributing her injuries to falls or toy-related accidents.
The affidavit also noted that Loving attempted to blame some of Izabella’s injuries on his other children, suggesting they had hit her with a plastic bat. Izabella had ten distinct injuries on her face, including a black eye and a gash above the other eye, as well as cuts and bruises on her pelvis, hips, biceps, and genitals.
Medical examiners are still working to determine the exact cause and manner of Izabella’s death. Additional charges against Loving and possibly his wife may be forthcoming. The mother reportedly told detectives, “I should go to jail for not helping Izabella, Nick should go to jail for killing her.”