Cassandra Santos Faces Federal Assault, Neglect Charges

SPIRIT LAKE RESERVATION, ND (trfnews.i234.me) – A 37-year-old woman is facing federal criminal charges after investigators allege she struck a young child with her vehicle during a reservation gathering and, in separate incidents, neglected her own children while under the influence of alcohol.

Cassandra Santos, 37, is charged in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota with one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury and three counts of child neglect in Indian country.

According to an FBI affidavit, the allegations involve three separate incidents between July and September 2026 on the Spirit Lake Reservation.

Young Child Injured at Crow Hill Recreation Center

The first incident occurred July 6, 2026, at the Crow Hill Recreation Center during a prayer service.

According to the federal affidavit, Santos was backing her vehicle out of a parking space when she struck a young child born in 2025.

The child suffered serious injuries and was transported by air ambulance to a hospital in Fargo.

Medical records cited in the affidavit identified a closed fracture of the child’s right femur, a crush injury, and abrasions to the leg and foot.

Multiple witnesses, including relatives, reportedly told investigators they observed Santos drinking alcohol before the incident.

According to the affidavit, Santos initially provided inconsistent accounts of her alcohol consumption that day.

Santos told investigators that striking the child was not intentional.

Child Found Walking Alone in August

A second incident was reported August 7, 2026, when a bystander discovered one of Santos’ children walking alone on a road without shoes.

According to the affidavit, the child said Santos had left him with a babysitter the previous evening and had not returned.

A social services employee subsequently located Santos and reported that she appeared to be under the influence.

Santos reportedly maintained that her children were safe.

Children Found Unsupervised During September Incident

The third incident occurred September 11, 2026, when tribal police responded to a report of a possibly intoxicated woman driving with children in her vehicle.

According to the affidavit, officers located two of Santos’ children outside a parked vehicle without adult supervision.

Officers found Santos inside and described her as uncooperative during the encounter.

A breath test reportedly indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.196, more than twice North Dakota’s standard legal driving limit of 0.08.

The supplied federal complaint information does not identify a separate impaired-driving charge arising from that incident.

Federal Assault and Child Neglect Charges

Federal prosecutors have charged Santos with assault resulting in substantial bodily injury and three counts of child neglect in Indian country.

According to the complaint, the assault charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

Each child neglect count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

These are potential statutory maximum penalties, not sentences imposed in the case.

Spirit Lake Tribal and Federal Proceedings

Court records indicate that Santos has also submitted to the jurisdiction of Spirit Lake Tribal Court in connection with related tribal charges.

According to the affidavit, Santos identified herself as an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe.

The federal complaint places the alleged offenses within Indian country, providing the jurisdictional context for the federal prosecution.

Santos is being held at the Grand Forks County Jail, according to the information provided.

No federal trial date, bail determination, or final disposition was included in the available report.

The charges are allegations. Santos is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.