Family of overdose victim files suit against North Las Vegas, fire department
The family of a woman who died from a drug overdose in 2020 after attending a party with North Las Vegas firefighters has filed a civil lawsuit against the city, its fire department and others.
The suit was filed Monday on behalf of the estate of Tiffany Slatsky, 25, and her young son, Cade Slatsky.
Henderson police said Tiffany and her husband, former North Las Vegas firefighter Christopher Candito, 34, attended an all-night “track suit” party at the Golden Nugget on Feb. 21, 2020, along with other firefighters. Henderson police said Candito purchased morphine, ecstasy, cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, oxycodone, ketamine and Xanax in 2019 to distribute at the party.
Police said Tiffany Slatsky later showed signs of overdosing, but instead of taking her to a hospital, Candito drove his wife to a North Las Vegas fire station where he obtained the anti-overdose drug Narcan and gave it to his wife. Tiffany died Feb. 23 from multiple drug intoxication. Her death was ruled an accident.
Candito was charged in Henderson with second-degree murder. He is now serving a 16-to-40-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in October.
In addition to the city and the fire department, the suit names as defendants four men identified as either former or current North Las Vegas firefighters. They are Andrew Clapper, Nicholas Robison, Andrew Stocker and Steven Honsowetz, with the suit identifying Robison as a captain with the fire department. Also named as defendants are the Golden Nugget and the owners of the apartments where Candito and Tiffany Slatsky lived.
The suit, filed by the office of Las Vegas attorney Lloyd Baker, alleges that North Las Vegas Fire Station 51 where Candito worked was known as the “party station” and that the city maintained “a policy of inaction and an attitude of indifference towards illicit drug use and abuse of authority” within the fire department.
North Las Vegas spokesman Patrick Walker said Candito is responsible for the tragedy.
“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.
Walker also said that Robison, Clapper and Stocker have been fired. Honsowetz continues to be employed at the city.
Court records do not indicate whether the others named in the suit have retained attorneys in the case.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.