Family of 5-year-old found dead in hot home says help was available
Family members of a 5-year-old Las Vegas girl found dead in a hot house with no air conditioning Monday said the youth’s mother had an extensive support system available to her, but she never reached out for help or told anyone close to her that she was struggling financially.
Kemaya Taylor, 23, of Las Vegas, was charged with murder and two counts of child abuse Thursday in the death of her child during a hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court that Taylor refused to attend.
Las Vegas police said Taylor’s child, whose name has not been released, and her 2-year-old sister were found by police in their mother’s sweltering home near East Pyle Avenue and South Maryland Parkway.
“The two children were found locked inside a bedroom,” Clark County prosecutor Steven Rose said Thursday morning, adding that the temperature in the home had reached 101 degrees.
Police said the 5-year-old died at the scene. Her younger sister survived.
The high temperature outdoors on Monday was 106. Rose confirmed the air conditioning was not on in the residence, but he did not have information as to whether it was turned off or disconnected. It was also not known yet whether the child’s death was caused by heat exhaustion or something else. The Clark County coroner’s office is investigating both the cause and manner of death.
Communication with family had stopped
Taylor’s landlord told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Wednesday that Taylor, weeks prior to her daughter’s death, said she was struggling financially and that she had no one to help her. The landlord said Taylor was living in a messy house and appeared to be disheveled.
However, the children’s grandmother, Marisa Brown, and aunt, Kandra Coleman, both of Sacramento, California, said Thursday outside of court that Taylor’s claim about not having any family to help her is false.
“My son wants to make one thing clear: Kemaya had all the help that she needed,” Brown said. “There was no way in hell that anyone would not have come to her aid.”
Coleman and Brown said Taylor has numerous family members in Las Vegas and Sacramento. The children’s father, who attended the hearing, has been deeply involved in his kids’ lives, they said.
Outside of court, family members said Taylor in recent weeks stopped communicating with the children’s father, aunt or grandmother when they called to check on the kids.
“She hasn’t responded to their father,” Coleman said. “He would text her and say, ‘You know it’s Father’s Day. I wanna hear from my kids. I should be able to. They are my children.’”
Taylor texted back “of course,” Coleman said, “then never heard anything from the babies.”
“She blocked my son,” Brown added. “She kept all communication away. She played the role with me just as well. I have tons of messages to her letting her know that we are there for her and I will do anything for my grandkids.”
Coleman and Brown said they had imminent plans to come to Las Vegas to find out what was going on with the kids and Taylor. A trip was planned for July 9.
“She never said there was a problem,” Coleman said. “If her rent needed to be paid, we would have paid it. If we had to come together and just take up a collection from everyone in the family, those babies would have had a roof over their heads regardless. There is no reason that this should happen.”
Coleman broke down in tears as she talked, prompting Brown to hug and console her.
“Me and my son helped pay her rent last month,” Brown said.
Taylor’s landlord said neighbors observed Taylor acting bizarrely in front of the home prior to the discovery of the children. At one point Taylor made a comment about being “son of Jacob.”
Coleman, Brown and their loved ones spent a sleepless night driving to Las Vegas for Thursday’s hearing in front of Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron. A public defender has been appointed to represent Taylor. The next court date in the case is scheduled for July 15.
Coleman and Brown said the death of the child is unfathomable. Everyone on both sides of the family are grief-stricken and in shock. The families described the 5-year-old as “so precious.” They declined to release her name until authorities do.
“She was an angel,” Coleman said. “She never did anything to anyone.”
“She had a bright future,” Brown said.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.