What had been called a "beautiful resolution" in the case of an Arizona woman -- arrested after leaving her two children in a hot car while interviewing for a job -- is now in doubt, after prosecutors moved to again charge her with felony child abuse following her failure to comply with the terms of their deal and the revelation that she had been spending more than $4,000 a month.
Shanesha Taylor has received more than $110,000 in donations since her March arrest (and the release of her tearful booking photo) went viral. Police said then that Taylor left her 2 year old and 6 month old alone for 45 minutes while interviewing for a job, while Taylor said that she could not afford child care in order to make it to the interview.
In the summer, prosecutors announced a deal with Taylor. She "agreed to take parenting classes, undergo substance-abuse counseling and set up a trust fund using $60,000, with half of the money designated for child care and the other half for the future education of her three children," according to the Arizona Republic. She regained custody of her children in August.
But Taylor failed to meet deadlines to deposit money into a trust, even though she said she had more than $60,000 remaining from donations -- in part, she said, because she disagreed with a requirement of the trust that her children attend post-secondary education.
"I can move the money over and put it into place, but if doesn't take care of the children, it's futile," she said. "It would lock them out of their money if they didn't go to college."
In October, having missed one deadline, Taylor's attorney said she wanted to lower the trust amount to $35,000; and said that the intense media coverage of the case had made it difficult for Taylor to find a job.
The amount was then lowered to $40,000: "$10,000 would have been placed into an education fund for each child and another $10,000 would go toward a child-care trust," the Republic reported. Taylor missed the second deadline on Nov. 6.
"My patience has reached its limit," said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. "She will either comply with setting aside the money previously agreed upon or we will move forward with prosecution, and that entire avenue of resolution will be off the table."
As the prosecution was reinsated, court records released Tuesday show that Taylor's monthly budget was about $4,000, including $1,038.50 for rent, $500 for food, $250 for gas and $275 for cable and Internet.
Taylor's trial date is scheduled for Dec. 10.
Her attorneys withdrew from the case in early November. She is now represented by a public defender.
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