"Infant John" TAYLOR - 16 Months/ Accused: Felicia Taylor - Woonscoket RI

WOONSOCKET -- A city mom voicing anxiety and frustration over her
child-rearing responsibilities allegedly assaulted her 16-month-old son
in front of her own mother Monday afternoon, tossing him to the floor
and fracturing his left shoulder.
Police charged Felicia P. Taylor, 24, of 44 Burnside Ave., with
first-degree child abuse over the assault after investigating the
incident on Tuesday.
The baby was initially taken to Landmark Medical Center by Taylor and
family members and subsequently transported to Hasbro Children's
Hospital for further treatment.
City juvenile detectives were sent to the hospital at 2:35 a.m. to open
an investigation after hospital staff determined the baby's injuries
appeared to be the result of abuse.
Taylor told police during interviews she had gone to her mother, Phyllis
Taylor's apartment at 736 Social Street around 2 p.m. Monday and began
arguing with her about her babysitting the baby. The argument continued
in a bedroom where the baby was playing on the floor.
At that point, Felicia Taylor said she picked up the baby from the floor
and shook him several times before then throwing him down onto the
floor. The baby was reported to have struck the floor on his left
shoulder and the side of his face, according to police.
The baby was reported to have begun crying and then went silent for a moment after hitting the floor, police said.
Felicia Taylor told police she had felt "terrible" about what she did
and made arrangements to get a ride to Landmark Medical Center to see
about treatment for her anxiety.
Police said she later left the hospital without seeing the medical staff.
Phyllis Taylor told police her daughter had requested she watch the baby
because she "could not take it anymore" and indicated that the "anxiety
and stress" of raising a child was "overwhelming." Phyllis Taylor
voiced a belief that her daughter picked up the baby and tossed him to
the floor to show she could not take it anymore.
Taylor's mother stayed with the baby until a boyfriend of her daugther,
Randle Gaffney, could come to pick him up. Gaffney told police he
noticed the baby was not acting normally while at his home on Second
Avenue. The baby was reported to have cried himself to sleep at one
point and Gaffney said his mother and sister then noticed that he could
not use his left arm and hand.
Gaffney had received a call from Felicia in which she indicated she had
shaken the baby but did not mention throwing him to the floor, the
boyfriend told police. Gaffney believes he is the baby's biological
father, police said.
After learning of his mother's concerns about the baby and speaking
with Phyllis Taylor, Gaffney told police he called Felicia and told her
he needed to take the child to the hospital.
Felicia Taylor told him to bring the baby back to her home at 44
Burnside Ave., so she could go along to the hospital, police said. Upon
his arrival there, Gaffney said Taylor met him outside and took the baby
out of his car seat to carry him toward the house.
At that point, police said Taylor's live-in boyfriend, John Barber,
arrived on scene with his parents and indicated they would take the
child to Landmark with Felicia Taylor. Barber believes he may be the
child's biological father, police said.
Taylor was reported to have placed the baby in the back of Barber's car
and left for Landmark, police said. Gaffney told police he followed
along in his own vehicle to make sure the child went to the hospital.
Felicia Taylor was processed on first degree child abuse charge of
aggravated assault at the police station and scheduled for a court
hearing on the allegation, police said. A DCYF caseworker familar with
the family accompanied the baby to Hasbro Children's Hospital for his
treatment, police said.
Woonsocket Police Patrolman Jason Robinson, Det. Sgt. John Scully, and
Juvenile Det. Ronald Marcos and Peter Menard conducted the department's
investigation of the case.
http://www.woonsocketcall.com/node/3434