Exclusive: Pandemic may have helped day care operator accused in infant’s death duck earlier probe
A woman facing criminal investigation in the death of an infant at her Visalia day care had been subject to previous complaints after at least one other child suffered an unexplained fracture while under her care, state regulators' records show.
An investigative document obtained by the Times-Delta says that earlier complaint was only followed up by phone "due to COVID-19 pandemic" and the allegation was found to be unsubstantiated. A spokesman later contradicted the agency's own record, saying the investigation included two in-person visits, but did not provide specific evidence.
In March 2020, an anonymous person filed a complaint against Amanda Taylor, 41, after a child suffered an "unexplained fracture" and "unexplained injury" at Taylor's Visalia day care.
The California Department of Social Services closed the complaint in June 2020, concluding that "although the allegation may have happened or is valid, based on statements received during the investigation, there is not a preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violation did occur or did not occur."
The record further states that "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no one is available to conduct an in-person visit."
Department spokesperson Jason Montiel disputed the agency's own documentation, saying the department "conducted both in-person and virtual visits as part of the complaint investigation." The department, however, did not immediately provide evidence or proof of a more-thorough investigation when pressed by the Times-Delta.
The state visited the facility and conducted in-person interviews on May 12 and 14, 2020, according to Montiel. The purpose of a June 2020 tele-visit was to deliver findings of the state's investigation, he stated.
Roughly a year after the investigation closed, Taylor was arrested on suspicion of abusing and killing another child in her care. The infant suffered an unexplained fracture and later died from the injuries.
Infant death
On Nov. 3, 2021, first responders arrived at Imagination Playhouse day care on the 3300 block of Sunnyside Avenue after a 1-year-old girl was reported unconscious.
Medics rushed the baby to Visalia's Kaweah Health, where doctors told police they believed her injuries were non-accidental. The infant was airlifted to Valley Children's, where she later died.
Detectives did not release information about the extent of her injuries but said that she was the only adult who had contact with the infant during the time that the alleged abuse occurred, according to multiple witnesses. The California Department of Social Services revoked Taylor's day care license on Nov. 18 and prohibited her from working for any care facility licensed by the state, records obtained by the Times-Delta show.
Related: Visalia day care operator accused of killing infant won't be charged
Taylor "failed to provide adequate supervision, failed to provide safe, healthful, or comfortable accommodations or both, for Child # 1," whose injuries included "internal bleeding and retinal hemorrhaging, and ultimately died of those injuries," the department's investigation states.
Retinal hemorrhaging refers to bleeding in the delicate blood vessels of the eyes and is an important indicator of non-accidental injuries in children, particularly abusive head trauma and shaken baby syndrome, according to pediatric experts.
On Nov. 5, Visalia officers arrested Taylor on allegations of child abuse and booked her into jail without bail. The allegations later included murder following the infant's death.
The Tulare County District Attorney's Office later announced that it did not yet have enough evidence to formally charge Taylor with a crime. Prosecutors said they are awaiting a full autopsy and would need time to analyze and review the investigation and other documents. Taylor was released from jail as a result and is now free.
"An incident as tragic and intricate as this requires a significant amount of information to make a decision to file charges. Unfortunately, we do not possess everything we need to make that decision at this time,” Assistant District Attorney David Alavezos said at the time. "Our burden of proof requires that we have this information and enough time to thoroughly analyze it.”
Pandemic leads to 'tele-inspections'
Taylor's case may have been one of several abuse cases whose investigations were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, CDSS data obtained by the Times-Delta shows.
All but the highest-priority day care abuse allegations were limited to "tele-inspections" during the height of the pandemic from March 26 to Nov. 1 of 2020, Montiel said.
"Priority 1 level allegations are those that present a serious risk to the health and safety of children," he said in an emailed statement. "For serious allegations requiring more immediate attention, on-site inspections were allowed with manager approval."
Montiel did not clarify how many allegations rose to the Priority 1 level or how many exceptions were granted during this period. He also did not say what qualifies as a Priority 1 level case or specifically address whether the initial investigation into Taylor was considered Priority 1.
However, in the 2020 Taylor case, he said "CDSS conducted both in-person and virtual visits as part of the complaint investigation."
The facility was first licensed on Jan. 11, 2019. The license allowed for up to eight children, or four infants, at one time. Records show that five minor children also lived with Taylor at the time of the application.
Taylor had planned to expand her daycare license before abandoning the application in May 2021 when a Visalia fire inspector found that she had converted part of her garage into a bedroom without a permit, records show.
Visalia police told the Times-Delta other parents have come forward with abuse allegations following the infant's death. Those investigations are ongoing, Short said.
If you believe your child was abused at a daycare facility during the pandemic and feel your complaint was not adequately investigated by the state, we want to hear from you. Contact reporter Joshua Yeager at jyeager@gannett.com.
Joshua Yeager is a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta and a Report for America corps member. He covers Tulare County news deserts with a focus on the environment and local governments.
Follow him on Twitter @VTD_Joshy. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Woman under probe in infant's death was subject of previous complaints
