Judge denies North Las Vegas’ removal from lawsuit in overdose death of firefighter’s wife

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A judge ruled the City of North Las Vegas can be held responsible in the lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of Tiffany Slatsky. The 25-year-old died of an overdose three years ago.

Her husband, a then North Las Vegas firefighter, was criminally convicted of her death.

The city moved to clear its name from the lawsuit, but the court ruled that even though Christopher Candito wasn’t on the clock, taking Slatsky to the fire station it meant he was working under his duties as an EMT.

Slatsky, the mother of a young boy, overdosed in February 2020. Instead of calling 911, Candito took her to his fire station 23 miles away from their Henderson apartment and administered Narcan.

“Candito’s access to the fire station and the supplies with which he treated Tiffany was under the City Defendants’ control. The Court thus finds that Candito was acting in a way related to the performance of his official duties,” Judge Daniel Albregts wrote.”

In the lawsuit filed in 2022, attorneys claim fire station 51, “had a reputation of being a ‘party station’ with numerous employees engaged in the purchase, sale, trade, and/or use of steroids and illicit drugs.”

The suit alleges city superior officers and NLVFD employees were aware of the drug use, “and either participated in, condoned, or otherwise failed to respond to such activities.”

“He and others could have and should have done more, and do what they were trained to do,” Slatsky’s father Marty told FOX5 in 2021. “Instead, they were concerned about their jobs.”

The city of North Las Vegas told FOX5 they don’t comment on pending litigation.

However, after the lawsuit was filed said in a statement, “While we sympathize with Ms. Slatsky’s family, the responsibility lies solely with Mr. Candito who was criminally convicted for Ms. Slatsky’s death and is serving his time.”

At Candito’s sentencing in 2021, he said he wished he’d been a better man and a better husband.

Department of Corrections records shows Candito was paroled on Nov. 7, after serving his minimum sentence of 16 months.

Slatsky’s parents are now the legal guardians of her son Cade.

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