Adoptive grandparents sue North Las Vegas fire department, city

The parents of a Henderson woman who died of a drug overdose after a 2020 party with North Las Vegas firefighters have adopted their late daughter’s young son and they are now pursuing a lawsuit against the city on the child’s behalf.

Martin and Tammara Slatsky, of Las Vegas, said the adoption of their grandson, Cade, was finalized in January.

“Everything in (Cade’s) life we are going to try to make normal, but it never will be completely,” Martin Slatsky said, adding, “we are going to protect him as much as we can.”

The child’s mother, Tiffany Slatsky, 25, died on Feb. 23, 2020 from a drug overdose. Two days earlier, authorities said she’d attended a track suit party at the Golden Nugget with her husband, former North Las Vegas firefighter/paramedic Christopher Candito, and several of his co-workers. This week, the Slatskys sued the city of North Las Vegas, its fire department, Candito and others, alleging a culture of drug use at a North Las Vegas fire station where Candito worked contributed to Cade losing his mother.

“We need to get to the bottom of it and make some changes,” Martin Slatsky said. “That’s what this is about. It is about making changes, as well as for Cade.”

Tiffany Slatsky’s death was caused by intoxication from multiple drugs including ecstasy, morphine and cocaine. A Henderson police arrest warrant for Candito said Candito purchased morphine, ecstasy, cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, oxycodone, ketamine and Xanax in 2019 to distribute at the Feb. 21 party at the Golden Nugget.

Following Tiffany’s death, Henderson police and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted an extensive probe into the fatality. A Henderson detective and a DEA agent testified in front of a Clark County grand jury that they uncovered text messages between Candito and his co-workers about drugs. In one series of text messages, the investigators alleged that Candito and a co-worker, Andrew Clapper, discussed exchange of drugs including an anabolic steroid as well as morphine under the brand name Kadian. In other texts, authorities alleged that Candito chatted back and forth with a North Las Vegas fire captain, Nicholas Robison, about the purchase of cocaine for the party.

Police said after the party was over, Tiffany and her husband returned to their Henderson apartment where the couple continued to do drugs and drink. When Tiffany started to overdose, Henderson police said that Candito opted not to rush her to a nearby hospital, but instead he drove her for miles to the North Las Vegas Fire Station #51. There, authorities said he stole the anti-overdose drug Narcan and administered it to his wife, but she never recovered.

Candito was charged with murder in July 2021. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in October and was sentenced to 16 to 40 months in prison.

The Slatskys filed suit against the city Monday. Also named as defendants are four men identified as either former or current North Las Vegas firefighters. They are Clapper, Robison, Andrew Stocker and Steven Honsowetz. The city of North Las Vegas said this week that Robison, Clapper and Stocker have been fired. Honsowetz continues to be employed at the city. Court records do not list attorneys for any of the men, and none have been charged with any crime.

The city, meanwhile, when asked for comment for this story, reiterated that the city is not liable for Tiffany’s death.

“While we sympathize with Ms. Slatsky’s family, responsibility lies solely with Mr. Candito who was criminally convicted for Ms. Slatsky’s death and is serving his time,” Walker said in an emailed statement.

Two attorneys representing the Slatskys, Lloyd Baker and Christian Morris, said the suit alleges negligence in part because Fire Station #51 had earned the reputation as a “party station,” yet no one on the city’s payroll took action. Morris said “this was allowed to happen with our taxpayer dollars.”

“This lawsuit is about holding governmental entities and government actors accountable for what they’ve done,” Morris said. “Cade’s civil rights were violated.”

The adoption, meanwhile, has been a bittersweet endeavor. The Slatskys said they hope the lawsuit accomplishes justice on behalf of Cade, with Tammara saying “this can never happen again.”

The Slatskys said they are reminded of their late daughter daily by watching Cade’s actions and mannerisms.

“We’ve taken him skating, and she wasn’t there to see it,” Tammara Slatsky said. “Or he learns to ride his bike. I wanted to tell her, and show her, or call her on the phone and say, ‘Oh my gosh, he just rode his bike for the very first time!’ And I can’t.”