They ate a can of ravioli. Then their mom took out the extension cord, cops say
Before leaving for work, Latamara Taylor told her two young sons that they had to call her if they wanted something to eat.
They called, but she didn’t answer.
The 9-year-old and 6-year-old then helped themselves to a can of ravioli because they were hungry, police said.
Police say when Taylor came home, she “became irate” and used an extension cord to hit both boys on their legs, back and torso.
On Wednesday, Taylor was arrested and charged with child abuse and child neglect in the May 24 incident, records show. She has a history of battery arrests.
Taylor was being held Thursday at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
According to an arrest report, she left the boys alone in their Miami home May 24 so she could go to work.
“When the defendant returned home and saw that they had eaten the ravioli, she became irate, grabbed an extension cord and began hitting both victims over their legs, lower torso, thighs, hips and buttocks areas,” the officer wrote. “After the defendant beat the victims, she did not provide any medical treatment for their injuries.”
After beating them with the cord, Taylor brought them to their father’s house, police said.
It wasn’t until May 28 that the Florida Department of Children and Families became involved with the family.
That’s when Taylor was arrested on charges of aggravated battery after police say she struck the boys’ father with a car and pinning him down while the boys were in the car.
The boys were then examined and interviewed, police said. They both told investigators about the extension cord.
“The defendant maliciously and intentionally beat the victims more than a reasonable person would deem as an acceptable form of corporal punishment,” the officer wrote. “The defendant’s acts caused the victims unjustifiable pain, injuries and permanent scarring.”
This story was originally published August 1, 2019 at 4:29 PM.
