Jury selected in daycare worker trial

PORTALES — A jury is in place, and the trial for two former daycare workers charged more than 18 months ago with the death and serious injury of two young girls in their care begins today.

“We’re looking forward to getting the trial moving and getting this tried,” said 9th Judicial District Attorney Andrea Reeb, prosecuting for the state. “It’s been a year and a half now; I think everybody, including defense, victims and defendants are ready to resolve this matter in one way or another.”

The mother-daughter duo of Mary and Sandi Taylor are being tried together but can be acquitted or convicted separately on the first-degree felony counts they both face — reckless abuse or a child resulting in death, and abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm. They were arrested July 25, 2017, after leaving 22-month old Maliyah Jones and Aubriauna Loya, now 3, inside a car for about 90 minutes following an afternoon field trip.

Jones was dead on arrival at Roosevelt County General Hospital, and Loya was released from a hospital only months later. The pair’s daycare, Taylor’s Tots, was licensed at the time with the state but shut down promptly after the incident. The Taylors were released from custody Aug. 2017 and appeared with their attorney during jury selection Monday.

The trial originally scheduled for September was continued on the day of jury selection following a motion from defense attorney Tye Harmon, who said he needed more time to process recent witness and discovery filings. There were no late-breaking delays this week, however, and by end of day Monday the court managed to compile a 16-person jury — including four alternates — divided about evenly among men and women.

The court also set aside Tuesday for additional jury selection and motions as needed, but having tied off those loose ends by Monday evening they left the day free and will commence trial this morning at 9 a.m. in the Roosevelt County courtroom of Judge Donna Mowrer.

Neither Reeb nor Harmon anticipate any delays this time, and they expect the case to wrap up by early next week even though it is scheduled through Feb. 7.

“We will begin and we are ready to go,” Harmon told The News. “It doesn’t look like there’s any possibility of a plea and there’s not going to be any request from the defense to continue. ... We’re ready to have closure.”

Reeb said she expects a full courtroom audience today.