GUILTY AZ - Shanesha Taylor leaves kids in car during interview, Scottsdale, 2014

[hambirg]

I have terrible problems with huffpo (computer wise), but I noticed that an article there says that hot air was coming in to the vehicle. I posted earlier that I wondered why the keys would be in the ignition if the engine wasn't left running. Now I'm wondering if she didn't leave the car running with a/c on and it crapped out or wasn't set properly. Would explain why the baby had two shirts and a blanket on him, as well. jmo

Which is just another reason not to do something like this.

Sadly, it seems many do not know, given how often it happens. I believe most parents whose kids die that way are genuinely shocked, even if they aren't the most responsible people. I think it needs to be an education campaign, sadly.

An examination of media reports about the 605 child vehicular heatstroke deaths for an fourteen year period (1998 through 2013) shows the following circumstances:
52% - child "forgotten" by caregiver (315 Children)
29% - child playing in unattended vehicle (175)
18% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult (108)
1% - circumstances unknown (6)

So, most times it's unintentional, forgotten, or playing in the car. Only 18% are intentional, like in this case.

Why are we blaming the father here? Noone even knows if he's alive, or even knows he's a father. Look at Casey Anthony who denied her daughter the privledge of having a father. Anna Nicole Smith did the same thing!
I saw someone continuing to blame him for not knowing he was a father- excuse me, how can you blame someone that didn't even know they impregnated someone. She could've lied and told him she was on birth control when she wasn't!

He's alive and in the USAF as well as being a personal trainer. I'm not sure they are even divorced, no proof one way or the other.

It may not be a popular sentiment, but the more I learn about Shanesha Taylor, [modsnip]. The "Justice for Shanesha" mantra has taken on a life of its own with her supporters.

She has somehow become the "face" of single,[modsnip] mothers struggling with grinding poverty-- and just nothing about her situation until possibly January seems to support that. She was solidly middle class, from all I have been able to find. Perhaps she had a falling out with close friends and family, an issue with the bio-dad of the 6 month old, perhaps she had some emotional problems or psychiatric problems suddenly appear, or possibly even substance abuse-- but her life up to about January was full of promise and comforts. She has held at least 2 jobs that can be documented-- Sprint, and a USAF enlisted soldier-- solidly middle class jobs, not menial, minimum wage, or entry level. She has attended college, and has a vast social network of family and friends. So WHAT HAPPENED?

Why is not a single media outlet asking THAT question? They WANT her to be that woman who is "homeless" and living out of a car, not educated, with few options, enduring grinding poverty, and tearful and pitiable in a mug shot. Her reality has been hijacked for the convenience of those promoting awareness of difficult social issues, IMO.

I do really question what happened to her in the last couple of months. This is not a woman who has been struggling with unemployment, lack of childcare, and grinding poverty for more than a few weeks! And somehow she has become a poster child for all sorts of causes for poor, single, homeless, [modsnip] mothers that are really only distantly and peripherally related to her leaving a 6 month old and a 2 year old in a car while she interviewed with an insurance company.

Something about this whole situation makes no sense at all to me. It's surreal. It's making less and less sense as time goes on. If anything, the more I have learned about "who" she is, the less sympathy I have for her. She is smart, articulate, strong, and capable. [modsnip] She knows right from wrong. She knows, IMO, with absolute certainty, that leaving those kids in the car was a terribly wrong decision. But she did it anyway.

What happened in such a very short amount of time for her to end up in a situation like this? That is the REAL story-- not the long suffering, poor, homeless, single [modsnip] mom struggling with grinding poverty and no friends, family, or resources. She had TONS of resources just a few weeks ago. Family, friends, loving and supportive, all of them. What happened?

I "get" why the public and the media need her to be something she isn't, to promote all of the various causes and agendas.

This whole situation is a head scratcher. It's fascinating to see how this has taken on a life of its own, and morphed into something it never was in the first place. IMO.

But hey, there is $99K in donations in a bank account. :facepalm:

BBM

ITA!
There seems to be a big disconnect between how she is being portrayed and the reality of her situation.

[modsnip]

"solidly middle class"? Are you kidding? She has no husband, she has three kids, and SHE LIVES IN A CAR.

Besides having three kids, I'm not sure I believe the other stuff. Her husband, if he's an ex, is surely paying child support. He appears to be doing quite well. I imagine for three kids, he pays $$$.

 

[K_Z]

If ST is, or was, married to a current military member, and if that member is the biological parent (or adoptive parent) of any of her minor kids, there are substantial obligations on the part of the military member for the minor children. He would know that, and so would ST, as she is former military also.

Military members who are maritally separated (legally separated, or just living apart) have a number of obligations to their dependent children, for which the military member can (and OFTEN is) punished if not fulfilled. And the separated spouse, if non-military, retains eligibility for full dependent benefits (medical, dental, commissary, base access, etc.) until and unless there is a legal divorce.

Military members who divorce, and have dependent children, have a number of obligations, and can (and OFTEN are) punished for not fulfilling them. There are a number ways that a military member can fulfill child support obligations (allotments, etc). There are formulas that the military uses to determine if the member is sufficiently supporting their dependent children. Being deployed, or living in barracks does not relieve a member of their financial obligations.

In addition, the dependent minors remain eligible for medical and dental care until age 21, or 23 if in college, or if they marry. The military parent must periodically update documents to retain eligibility, as well as continue their dependent ID cards.

Here are some articles that do a good job explaining divorce and dependents:

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/divbenefits/a/idcardshousing.htm

http://www.divorcesource.com/ds/military/child-support-in-the-military-630.shtml

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/divfinance/a/divorcesupport.htm

http://www.militaryonesource.mil/legal?content_id=271162

If ST is former military herself (and I believe she is), and if she is, or was, married to a current active duty military member, there are a "boatload" of services and entitlements which she and her children can access. She would definitely know this, if she is former military. And she would definitely know how to go about making sure she receives what she is entitled to for her children. That could add up to a fairly substantial amount (relative to a level of poverty that leaves one homeless, etc) on a monthly basis.

For example, an E7 with 8 years of service has a base pay of about $3000/ month, to which is added rations allowance (food), and BHA (housing), and other cost of living and special duty allowances. Let's say that is maybe $5000/ month. The Navy charts say adequate child support for more than 2 kids is 3/5 of gross pay. That could be up to $3000/ month (if I have done the math right, and interpreted the regs correctly). It's a complex calculation, usually agreed upon by the rules of the state in which the child/ren are residing, and worked out by lawyers and the courts.

I do know that the (mostly young) enlisted airmen in my units that failed to adequately provide child support were quite harshly punished, once it came to light that they were shirking their responsibilities. It was considered a career ender.

 

[Flutterby80]

All I know is that is that it is NOT ok to leave babies alone. Anywhere. Now add the additional risks of:
They were in AZ
They were in a public area and therefore exposed to possible predators
The keys were in the car
The baby was overdressed and sweating
She was gone over an hour
I haven't seen if the car was locked or unlocked-if unlocked, add one more
So leaving them alone is bad. Add the additional risk factors above and, to me, it gets worse.

I think child endangerment charges are in order. Come on, she was gone for over an hour. Do I feel slightly less disgusted that she wasn't just getting her nails done, or at the casino? Yea, a little. Still think its child endangerment.

 

[K_Z]

I strongly agree, Flutterby80.

And I sincerely hope the prosecutor is completely deaf to any pleas and petitions to drop the charges against Shanesha Taylor.

After all, just a few months earlier, a Phoenix man who was at work supporting his child and claimed to have no childcare possibilities, left his 12 month old in a hot car. The child was found alive, but later died. He is charged with 2nd degree murder.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/23496962/2013/09/22/man-arrested-for-leaving-son-in-hot-car

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/25/1-year-old-boy-dies-after-being-left-in-hot-car-by-dad/

I wonder why no one has started an online fundraiser for this father? He could probably use $99,000. Is he not worthy of the same outpouring of sympathy as Shanesha Taylor? A father working hard to financially support, and take care of his child is to be commended, right? He didn't mean for the child to die, I'm sure. It was just an accident, right? Poor man, with no childcare. All alone, taking care of an infant. He must not have had any friends or resources, right? Just like Shanesha Taylor?

Maybe he should have tried to look more sad and pitiable in his mug shot? Cried? Maybe that would have moved the public to come to his aid and support his actions?

I wonder why no one has started a petition to get the charges dropped against this father? After all, he was at work, supporting his child, right? Just like Shanesha Taylor was trying to do, right?

A total of 43 children died after being left in hot cars in 2013. The number doesn't change much from year to year. On average, there are 30-40 kids each year who die after being left alone in hot cars. Half of them are under age 2.

http://ggweather.com/heat/

http://www.kidsandcars.org/userfiles/dangers/heat-stroke-fact-sheet.pdf

IMO, the luckiest day of Shanesha Taylor's life was the day she got arrested for leaving her kids in the car alone. Because HER kids are alive, and she will get another chance to see them, love them, and be their mom. And with $99,000+ in donations as a "reward" for doing this. She should plead guilty, take her punishment, and start over, IMO. I'd be willing to bet she will never leave her kids in a parked car again.

 

[JeannaT]

I have zero sympathy for him, and hope he goes to prison. Who knows how many hours that poor baby sat and cooked while he worked in commission sales.

He made 90K this last year, but "he spent it all". On what?

A man who makes 90K can certainly afford a babysitter - and his brother was actually home all day and could have watched him, the brother said.

Murderer.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/2...ft-in-car-dies-father-faces-additional-charge

 

[kimi_SFC]

I have zero sympathy for him, and hope he goes to prison. Who knows how many hours that poor baby sat and cooked while he worked in commission sales.

He made 90K this last year, but "he spent it all". On what?

A man who makes 90K can certainly afford a babysitter - and his brother was actually home all day and could have watched him, the brother said.

Murderer.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/2...ft-in-car-dies-father-faces-additional-charge

I am FURIOUS! He made the decision to turn off his AC because it wasn't good for his engine? The car was more important than his son! He also had an older child that could have watched this precious baby boy!

There's no reason IMO the DA should not consider elevating the charges to 1st degree murder. :stormingmad:

This beautiful little boy suffers terribly before his life ended. His "father" should suffer the maximum consequences. This is one of the worst example of anyone having their priorities screwed up, and their child paying for it with their life. UGH! :banghead:


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[AnaTeresa]

I strongly agree, Flutterby80.

And I sincerely hope the prosecutor is completely deaf to any pleas and petitions to drop the charges against Shanesha Taylor.

After all, just a few months earlier, a Phoenix man who was at work supporting his child and claimed to have no childcare possibilities, left his 12 month old in a hot car. The child was found alive, but later died. He is charged with 2nd degree murder.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/23496962/2013/09/22/man-arrested-for-leaving-son-in-hot-car

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/25/1-year-old-boy-dies-after-being-left-in-hot-car-by-dad/

I wonder why no one has started an online fundraiser for this father? He could probably use $99,000. Is he not worthy of the same outpouring of sympathy as Shanesha Taylor? A father working hard to financially support, and take care of his child is to be commended, right? He didn't mean for the child to die, I'm sure. It was just an accident, right? Poor man, with no childcare. All alone, taking care of an infant. He must not have had any friends or resources, right? Just like Shanesha Taylor?

Maybe he should have tried to look more sad and pitiable in his mug shot? Cried? Maybe that would have moved the public to come to his aid and support his actions?

I wonder why no one has started a petition to get the charges dropped against this father? After all, he was at work, supporting his child, right? Just like Shanesha Taylor was trying to do, right?

A total of 43 children died after being left in hot cars in 2013. The number doesn't change much from year to year. On average, there are 30-40 kids each year who die after being left alone in hot cars. Half of them are under age 2.

http://ggweather.com/heat/

http://www.kidsandcars.org/userfiles/dangers/heat-stroke-fact-sheet.pdf

IMO, the luckiest day of Shanesha Taylor's life was the day she got arrested for leaving her kids in the car alone. Because HER kids are alive, and she will get another chance to see them, love them, and be their mom. And with $99,000+ in donations as a "reward" for doing this. She should plead guilty, take her punishment, and start over, IMO. I'd be willing to bet she will never leave her kids in a parked car again.

Key difference - he has a job, and thus income. A person without a job and a home is a far cry from a person who has both.

There's also a difference between the choice to leave your child during an interview, and the choice to leave a child in the car for an entire work day. (Yes, I know both are bad). One may be the product of ignorance, the other is clearly the product of callousness.

 

[lawstudent]

Yeah, a whole work day is a different story - never okay. At that point, just leave them at home and remove anything dangerous. A half hour I consider fine if it's not really hot out, and maybe she didn't realize how long it was going to last. Being gone over an hour was too long, but not the same as 8 hours.

I used to work at a supermarket and I'd see kids left in cares on hot days while the parents grocery shopped all the time. I don't think there's anything wrong with that on a cool day, but these parents were gone a long time and it was very hot - not even the windows were cracked. I reported it to my boss and they didn't do anything.

 

[LinasK]

I have zero sympathy for him, and hope he goes to prison. Who knows how many hours that poor baby sat and cooked while he worked in commission sales.

He made 90K this last year, but "he spent it all". On what?

A man who makes 90K can certainly afford a babysitter - and his brother was actually home all day and could have watched him, the brother said.

Murderer.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/2...ft-in-car-dies-father-faces-additional-charge

And I have zero sympathy for her. She endangered her children- besides the heat, they could've easily been abducted. I don't care that it was an interview, it doesn't make it any less bad than if she was at a casino, getting her nails done, shopping, or hooking. Child endangerment is child endangerment. Just like the stupid sailors off Mexico, people need to start putting their children's needs first and stop being so selfish!!!:banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[jjenny]

She has relatives nearby but apparently "too proud" to ask for help. It's also not clear to me if she is actually homeless. Her great aunt thinks she lives with her parents:

"'Homeless?' Police say Taylor claimed she was homeless. But her great aunt told MailOnline she lived with her father Eddie Mullins (pictured) and mother Gwen, who Shanesha got on with very well."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...interview-proud-family-say.html#ixzz2ygjWh6sG
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[K_Z]

More information continues to come out, suggesting the situation is not what it is portrayed to be by most of the media and commentators.

The 6 month old tested positive for illegal drugs at birth, and CPS was involved. So maybe that has had something to do with her "downfall" in the past few months.

It's looking more to me like it's likely she was having some kind of dispute with her family-- perhaps they asked her to leave, or she chose to leave voluntarily. It sounds more plausible that she was in transition, or had a dispute, rather than "homeless." JMO. It's hard for me to consider one night in her car in a Wal Mart parking lot as "homeless", when there is so much credible evidence her parents (both of whom work) were allowing her and her kids to live in their home, and helping her raise them.

It also sounds like her parents are raising her younger sister's 4-5 year old child, while her sister serves a 7 year prison term. I wonder if that child was in daycare/ preschool, since the grandparents were both working?

I suspect the 9 year old didn't spend the night in the WalMart parking lot with them. I think there is a good chance she was in school-- lots of school pics, and comments about her good grades, good relationships with teachers and principal, etc on FB.

IDK, but I'm starting to think these grandparents will end up with custody/ guardianship of all 4 of these kids. So if that ends up being the outcome, then I'm fine with the grandmother getting $101K deposited into her checking account from the donations! (An article upthread indicated the donations were being deposited to the grandmother's account.)

BBM below.

It's unclear precisely what her circumstances are, as Taylor is declining interviews. She told police she was often homeless and that they'd stayed the previous night in a Wal-Mart parking lot, yet she also told them she's lived with her mother for the last year. She told police she's unemployed yet court documents indicate she worked part-time as an office aide for a medical house call service.

According to police, Child Protective Services already had an open case involving Taylor's youngest son, who tested positive for illegal drugs when he was born. The children are now in CPS custody.

The details, outlined in a Scottsdale police report, are horrifying. She left them strapped down in their car seats, with the windows cracked open an inch and hot air blowing through the vents. She left the SUV in the noontime sun, with the keys in the ignition and the door unlocked. She left them where she couldn't see them and never checked on them in the hour and nine minutes that she was gone.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/laur.../shanesha-taylor-arizona-child-abuse/7565687/

 

[K_Z]

I forgot to add that hospitals don't just test "every" newborn baby for illegal drugs. (That would be a disincentive for women to come to the hospital to give birth, since those using illegal drugs would know that they would be caught and punished.)

There has to be a medical REASON why the tests are run. Which means the baby was displaying some kind of symptoms that lead them to both obtain the blood test (which is not the kind of test that you get results back in 30 min), AND reason to involve CPS. And it clearly also means that whatever illegal drug/s the baby tested positive for, ST was using while pregnant and close to delivery.

This is definitely going to come out in court from the prosecutor, if the case gets to a trial. And that looks very bad for ST, because now she can't really claim that she had just a one time lapse in judgment. The prosecutor will surely also point out that she was using illegal drugs, and also parenting the 2 year old and 9 year old.

 

[K_Z]

Shanesha Taylor, the jobless mom from Arizona whose arrest has drawn national attention to just how frayed America's social safety net has become, made a last-minute decision on the advice of her lawyer to skip a news conference held on her behalf Tuesday morning in front of the Arizona Capitol.

http://www.myhighplains.com/story/d...port-of-shanesha/35766/P-951Vegu0CvXqDQxr71Dw

Video at link. Donations up to $102,000+.

I hope the prosecutor does not drop the charges, despite these (IMO) misguided people advocating for her. With the baby testing positive for illegal drugs, and CPS involvement for that, she has some real issues with safe parenting decisions, IMO. These are very tiny children. Who is advocating for them?

I don't even think this would be a newsworthy ongoing story but for the donations and empty justifications for what she has done. She isn't different from any other parent who leaves a baby and toddler in a hot car alone. IMO, there is no reasonable rationale or justification for the prosecutor to even consider dropping all the charges. This isn't a popularity contest, after all.

Or wait-- maybe it is?! :facepalm:

 

[K_Z]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ed-kids-car-scottsdale-job-interview/7747739/

Video at link

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Maupin and others delivered to Montgomery's office a Change.org petition bearing 12,000 signatures, calling on him to drop the charges against her. Montgomery was not present to receive the signatures, but his office accept them.

In addition to Benjamin Taylor, several others spoke at the news conference, leveraging the narrative of Shanesha Taylor's arrest to make social, political and religious points.

The mother has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Taylor faces a minimum of two years of probation for each count. She has not said where she is staying or clarified what her housing situation was prior to her arrest.

 

[Tinsamd]

Ok, so wow. This one is a lot to take in; & this may have already been addressed, seeing as I have only read the 1st & last pages of this thread..

However, here are my thoughts:

In the above mentioned article it clearly states that not only were the keys left in the ignition, the doors to the car were also left unlocked.

A 2 year old, & an infant... Left alone, in a car, for over an hour...

It doesn't matter why. Job interview, or at the bar, it doesn't matter.

A 2 year old could have started the car, driven into traffic, & killed not only himself, his brother, but numerous others due to this "mother's" lack of responsibility to do the right thing.

A pervert could have easily opened the doors, raped & murdered both babies because of unlocked doors... Sitting ducks those babies were..

Facing a max of 2 years for each charge? Please. That's nothing.

12,000 signatures on a Change.org petition to drop the charges & over $100K raised by strangers to give to someone who clearly shouldn't have reproduced just goes to show that society has gone to hell in a hand basket.

I wouldn't leave my 12 year old alone in a car under those circumstances.

People make choices. & From those choices, accept the consequences that come from making bad decisions.

She does not deserve leniency.

Good god this has made me angry as h*ll.

 

[jjenny]

I couldn't agree more.
There was already a CPS case on this woman's youngest child prior to this particular incident.
Yet people collecting money for her and signing petitions?
Society has gone to hell in a hand basket.

 

[K_Z]

Shanesha Taylor speaks publicly about children-left-in-car case

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news.../15/shanesha-taylor-press-conference/7737137/

Woman accused of leaving kids hot car asks that charges be dropped

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/l...ed-kids-car-scottsdale-job-interview/7803267/

Defense attorney: Shanesha Taylor 'made a mistake'

http://www.ktar.com/95/1723981/Defense-attorney-Shanesha-Taylor-made-a-mistake

Despite Taylor's attorney dropping off over 12,000 petitions to the County Attorney's Office on Tuesday, Montgomery announced Wednesday that he was not swayed by the signatures and the child abuse charges against Taylor will not be dropped.

"First, they weren't signatures," he said. "They were just a list of names from the change.org website. I don't know whether any of the individuals in their pajamas who logged on to the website and put their name in there, really had a clue of all of the circumstances involved in this particular case."

Montgomery said that after digging further into Taylor's alleged circumstances, Taylor's claims of unemployment and homelessness are not quite accurate.

"We've learned since that she actually had part-time employment, so she wasn't unemployed," he said. "She actually had a residence listed, so she wasn't homeless."

Since news broke that the two Class 3 felonies against Taylor will not be dropped, Taylor's attorney is now hoping for a sympathetic jury.

BBM

 

[kimi_SFC]

K_Z :tyou: for your tireless efforts on this thread! Although my initial post was O/T (my apologies :blushing: ) regarding a different but similar case with a tragic end, I subscribed and follow for updates.

Your medical background is really helpful, and you explain things in ways that make sense for everyone :loveyou:

No surprise my THM pal!

This case is polarizing, no doubt. I try to remember the children are the crux of the matter. Their best interest should have been what guided their mom's decision that day. It didn't. Hopefully, the jury will keep them front and center during the adjudication process. :moo:

The criminal justice system often forgets the victims and someone needs to ensure their voices are heard!

:twocents:


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[K_Z]

Wanted to also mention that online petitions for situations such as these seldom persuade local officials to do much of anything. It's impossible to tell how many of the signers are even AZ residents (or even real people, or individual people), let alone residents of the county they are intending to influence (Maricopa County, in this case).

I'm glad to see the Maricopa county prosecutor openly and publicly disregarding this petition. I would have been livid if this prosecutor was swayed by such tactics. This type of petition is very inappropriate for this set of circumstances-- criminal charges of child abuse! Imagine the chaos if every time someone was arrested for criminal activity, all that had to be done was start an online petition to get the charges dropped! Insanity!

But hey, I guess it makes people feel good to "click" on stuff!

I'm glad Websleuths prohibits members recruiting other members to "sign" these things. Very sensible policy, IMO.

There is a lot of discussion about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of online petitions. Snopes had a very good discussion a while back, too. Here is one discussion.

On-line petitions are not taken seriously, since they are easy to falsify and it is hard to verify the legitimacy of the signers. They may not even be from the country or area in reference to the petition itself. It could be one person, with multiple e-mail addresses, signing a repeated number of times. Sometimes petitions are circulated via e-mail and people sign without reading the issue. Since they are fairly anonymous, the on-line petitions are often disregarded.

Read more: http://socyberty.com/activism/the-effectiveness-of-on-line-petitions/#ixzz2z6jpQgE7

 

[Knox]

I did not read back to the beginning, so this may have been mentioned before.

AZ is undergoing a much needed overhaul to their CPS Agency (I follow the Jhessye Shockley case, which took place in AZ). Bill Montgomery won my support and admiration for the action he took in pursing justice for Jhessye, and it sounds like he is doing the same for these children.

I'm appalled at anyone who thinks this Mother was justified, like someone else above said ... hell in a hand basket.

"We need to go even further. The time has come to statutorily establish a separate agency that focuses exclusively on the safety and well-being of children and helping families in distress without jeopardizing child safety," Brewer said. "I call on the Legislature to work with me to codify a new permanent agency. Child safety must be the priority and become embedded in the fabric of this new agency. It is our legal and moral duty."
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Gov-Jan-Brewer-dissolves-child-welfare-agency-239998941.html