Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Hearing delayed for man accused in 1-year-old daughter’s death

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Kevin Taylor

The preliminary hearing for a 20-year-old North Las Vegas man charged with murder by child abuse in connection with the death of his 1-year-old daughter has been delayed until attorneys can review the autopsy report.

Kevin Taylor was arrested June 4 on one charge of child abuse with substantial bodily harm. The charge was changed to murder by child abuse after the girl, identified as Kaitlyn Taylor, died June 8.

Taylor appeared before Justice of the Peace Natalie Tyrrell this morning in North Las Vegas for a preliminary hearing. Tyrrell scheduled a status check for Aug. 12 at the request of Taylor's attorney, Christy Craig.

Tyrrell said she received an e-mail from Craig and prosecutors asking that the hearing be delayed until the autopsy report was released.

Police said the girl was hospitalized in critical condition with several broken bones in her ribs and clavicle, as well as cerebral bleeding.

North Las Vegas Police spokesman Tim Bedwell said officers were called to a house in the 2200 block of McCarran Street at 7:23 p.m. on June 4 to reports that a child wasn’t breathing. While en route, officers were told by paramedics that the child had gone into cardiac arrest, according to an arrest report.

Detectives interviewed Taylor, who said he was playing with Kaitlyn and hitting her with a cotton pillow when she started to cry and went limp. He said he tried to shake the girl and poured water on her, the report said. Kaitlyn was still unresponsive.

But medical officials said the girl’s injuries weren't a result of a cotton pillow. Taylor told officers he often plays rough with Kaitlyn and his other child because he doesn’t want them to grow up and “be taken advantage of.”

According to police, Taylor said he would grab Kaitlyn by a leg and arm, swing her around and throw her on the bed and pillows against the wall, the report said. Police said Taylor also told detectives he would push the girl’s face down into the bed forcefully.

He was arrested in 2009 for child abuse with substantial bodily harm and is on parole, police said

Taylor is being held in the North Las Vegas Detention Center with bond set at $750,000.

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