A homeless single mother in Arizona who struggled to make ends meet is in jail after she allegedly left her children in her car while she went on a job interview.
Shanesha Taylor was arrested on felony child abuse charges after Scottsdale police discovered her two kids, aged 2 years old and 6 months old, in a locked car.
Scottsdale police responded after a witness reported a child crying from inside a Dodge Durango parked at an office complex on March 20. Police said that two children were left along in the car with the engine off and the windows slightly cracked. The car was left parked in the sun and all the doors were closed.
AZFamily reports that the kids had already been in the car for 30 minutes when police arrived. Police said 35-year-old Taylor returned from her job interview about 45 minutes after officers came to the scene. She said she didn't have anyone else to care for the kids while she was on an interview at an insurance company.
"She was upset. This is a sad situation all around. She said she was homeless. She needed the job," Scottsdale Police Sergeant Mark Clark told KPHO. "Obviously not getting the job. So it's just a sad situation."
Taylor was arrested on two felony counts of child abuse. She remains in jail, and her children have been put in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Taylor's arrest has spurred an online fundraising drive to help with her legal expenses, according to WTOP. At time of writing Friday, it had more than 975 supporters, and had raised more than $27,000 -- three times more than its $9,000 goal.
The fundraising site acknowledges that Taylor made a "terrible mistake" but urges compassion.
"There are a lot of us who feel she was just a victim to what an economy like this is putting struggling families through," Amanda Bishop, who organized the fundraiser, told KMGH.
Taylor's arrest has spurred an online fundraising drive to help with her legal expenses, according to WTOP. At time of writing Friday, it had more than 975 supporters, and had raised more than $27,000 -- three times more than its $9,000 goal.
Taylor's arrest has spurred an online fundraising drive to help with her legal expenses, according to WTOP. At time of writing Friday, it had more than 975 supporters, and had raised more than $27,000 -- three times more than its $9,000 goal.
I think it's wonderful that people want to help her, but does anyone actually know anything at all about the woman besides what the told the police?
I suppose she may turn out to be a crack-addicted welfare queen who drives a Pimpmobile, but for now I'm going to focus on the fact that there are enough people out there willing to reach out and help a woman and two babies who appear to be in desperate need. Frankly this story helps to restore my faith a humanity just a bit.
I'm a little skeptical--like there wasn't anyone in the world who could watch the babies? I guess she might not know about a shelter or church that might be able to help.
I'm a little skeptical--like there wasn't anyone in the world who could watch the babies? I guess she might not know about a shelter or church that might be able to help.
I hope the money helps her get on her feet.
I am glad that this story didn't end with two children who died in the hot car. This story does not inspire me to donate to her, it makes me think she is a very lucky woman that nothing bad happened to her children that she left in a very dangerous situation.
I'm a little skeptical--like there wasn't anyone in the world who could watch the babies? I guess she might not know about a shelter or church that might be able to help.
I hope the money helps her get on her feet.
I am glad that this story didn't end with two children who died in the hot car. This story does not inspire me to donate to her, it makes me think she is a very lucky woman that nothing bad happened to her children that she left in a very dangerous situation.
Leaving two kids in a car in Arizona could have been lethal. Obviously I have compassion for her situation, but this wasn't a situation where she forgot about those kids. They were purposefully left in the car. They could have died.
What exactly was the temperature outside? I'm just wondering how people think the kids could have easily died.
I also feel like if you have someone you can easily drop your kids off with during the day, you probably wouldn't be living in a shelter, but what do I know.
What exactly was the temperature outside? I'm just wondering how people think the kids could have easily died.
I also feel like if you have someone you can easily drop your kids off with during the day, you probably wouldn't be living in a shelter, but what do I know.
I really have no idea what the temp is, just assuming since it was AZ, that it would be too warm to leave young children in the car with only a cracked window. And I agree that she may not have had anyone who could have watched the kids. Just a difficult situation all around.
Post by iammalcolmx on Mar 31, 2014 7:29:15 GMT -5
They have now reached 60k. I believe the average high temperatures this time of year are in the low to mid 80's obviously too hot to be in a car but doesn't that show the level of desperation this woman must have felt to leave her kids in the car for this job interview? She is homeless with two kids FFS!! She is trying to get a damn job to feel her children and put a roof over their heads. As a result I am going to side-eye any of you who discuss her damn "options" in this situation. Especially while we sit here typing our opinions from our climate controlled homes and/or offices.
What exactly was the temperature outside? I'm just wondering how people think the kids could have easily died.
I also feel like if you have someone you can easily drop your kids off with during the day, you probably wouldn't be living in a shelter, but what do I know.
The high in Phoenix was 80 degrees that day. Thank you for the bolded because my head is going to explode.
I'm a little skeptical--like there wasn't anyone in the world who could watch the babies? I guess she might not know about a shelter or church that might be able to help.
I hope the money helps her get on her feet.
Look, if more than half the women on this board can't find someone to keep their children/wouldn't keep their friend's children so she can keep her job, you can't be shocked a homeless lady has no one to watch hers.
I have a husband and a good lifestyle and there have been times I've been unable to find childcare. In fact relatively frequently and it was even harder when they were younger because at least now I can leave them with a 14/15 year old vs someone comfortable with babies. Thankfully I never had the make a decision about childcare and job interview to put food on the table and roof over my head. I remember having contractions with DS3 and needing to go to L&D and I couldn't get ahold of my husband so off to L&D I went with an almost 3 year old and a 17 mo old
Also, between the police reports and the news article, I'm inclined to believe someone confirmed she lives in a homeless shelter and that she was at a job interview. Where is the fundraising site because I'll totally pony up.
Post by Velar Fricative on Mar 31, 2014 7:36:55 GMT -5
Isn't it obvious that when you're homeless, you don't have much help (including childcare) to begin with?
Plus, maybe there are shelters or churches or other places that would have offered free childcare for an hour or two while she went to her interview, but perhaps she had no time to vet the caregivers at these places and was so desperate that she felt that maybe leaving the kids in her car was a "safer" option than leaving them with total strangers. I'm not condoning her leaving her kids in her car because yes, this could have all turned out horribly tragic for the kids, but it doesn't appear that she would have had any good options.
But instead of this become a national news story and making everyone realize just how hard poor/homeless people have it, all I'll probably see are comments in the articles questing why she had kids if she couldn't afford to house them, blah blah blah. No discussion about real solutions.
Oh my god. I can't imagine being that desperate (even though leaving kids in the car while running in somewhere is not something that bothers me). I'm glad people have raised money for her and hope it leads to better things for her and her babies.
Also, this is what is wrong with our country IMO. Why why why do we not have better common sense support for people in need? It is so frustrating how we get mired down in D vs R when the reality is both parties are failing at every level to come up with ways to actually help the citizens of this country.
Isn't it obvious that when you're homeless, you don't have much help (including childcare) to begin with?
But instead of this become a national news story and making everyone realize just how hard poor/homeless people have it, all I'll probably see are comments in the articles questing why she had kids if she couldn't afford to house them, blah blah blah. No discussion about real solutions.
I agree with all this.
I really feel for this lady and it's great this large amount of money is going towards the individual, but it would be even more awesome if it was going towards..an endowment fund for safe child-care so it wouldn't happen to others.
Isn't it obvious that when you're homeless, you don't have much help (including childcare) to begin with?
Plus, maybe there are shelters or churches or other places that would have offered free childcare for an hour or two while she went to her interview, but perhaps she had no time to vet the caregivers at these places and was so desperate that she felt that maybe leaving the kids in her car was a "safer" option than leaving them with total strangers. I'm not condoning her leaving her kids in her car because yes, this could have all turned out horribly tragic for the kids, but it doesn't appear that she would have had any good options.
But instead of this become a national news story and making everyone realize just how hard poor/homeless people have it, all I'll probably see are comments in the articles questing why she had kids if she couldn't afford to house them, blah blah blah. No discussion about real solutions.
Or comments on here discussing her OPTIONS. I can't even effing believe this. This is the board that will eat you alive if you (1) Support drug testing of welfare folks (2) suggest anyone is a welfare queen. Yet when a story is posting with a woman CRYING IN HER MUGSHOT after making choice out of pure desperation people are sitting on their middle class high horses throwing shade. ::sucks teeth::
There is child care assistance but it's a process and you have to have a damned job. The state or the feds will not pay for childcare if you don't have a job.
Childcare is THE issue that affects sooo many other facets of life. I have never understood why it isn't given much more weight (well, ok, women and children don't mean jack to any lobby). Even in the socialist country I live in needs a lot of work in this area.
Isn't it obvious that when you're homeless, you don't have much help (including childcare) to begin with?
But instead of this become a national news story and making everyone realize just how hard poor/homeless people have it, all I'll probably see are comments in the articles questing why she had kids if she couldn't afford to house them, blah blah blah. No discussion about real solutions.
I agree with all this.
I really feel for this lady and it's great this large amount of money is going towards the individual, but it would be even more awesome if it was going towards..an endowment fund for safe child-care so it wouldn't happen to others.
The person on the fundraiser site is also asking if anyone in her area has any suggestions for where she can find childcare and if anyone has job leads. It appears as if that person is trying to offer a hand up as well.
I really feel for this lady and it's great this large amount of money is going towards the individual, but it would be even more awesome if someone was also raising money that would go towards..an endowment fund for safe child-care so it wouldn't happen to others.
FTFY because this woman needs help now. Not from some endowment that might eventually get to her but now so she can get out of jail, feed her babies, and not have to worry about where they will all sleep.
I feel so bad for this poor woman. I really hope a judge can see this situation for what it is-a loving mother who made a mistake trying to get a job to take care of her kids-and who will be lenient so she can get her kids back.