No criminal charges yet in death of 1-year-old in Visalia. More investigation needed, DA says

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday requested more information before filing any criminal charges against a woman accused of injuring a 1-year-old at a day care facility who later died.

Police found the girl last Wednesday at the Imagination Playhouse Daycare in Visalia. She was unconscious and taken to Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia, then airlifted to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County.

Doctors at the time said injuries on the child appeared non-accidental, according to the Visalia Police Department.

On Friday, 41-year-old Amanda Taylor was arrested. Police said she was the only adult who had contact with the child at time of the incident. The charges were later amended to include homicide, following the child’s death.

In requesting further investigative, Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos said there are still a number of documents the office sill needs to receive, including a full autopsy report with a time frame and cause of death. The office is also requesting complete medical records from the incident as well as prior medical history for the child, and “a full and thorough review of witness statements from parents and those at the daycare facility.”

“Our burden of proof requires that we have this information and enough time to thoroughly analyze it,” Alavezos said in a statement.

“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,” he said.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 1:33 PM.