Taunton woman sentenced for severely abusing toddler

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A Taunton woman who was found guilty of severely abusing a toddler in her care has been sentenced, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office.

Alanna Taylor, 32, was sentenced to serve six to eight years in state prison Friday after a week-long trial for charges of assault and battery on a child-causing substantial bodily injury and obstruction of justice.

In September of 2019, the two-year-old victim was placed in a Taunton home with his father, the defendant and her two children.

After dropping off a nebulizer for Taylor on December 19, 2019, a friend observed the victim to be fine but remained seated on a toilet for the duration of the visit.

The friend left the home but was called back within minutes and observed the victim to be “lifeless.”

The friend insisted that they call 911 but Taylor refused as she did not want DCF involved.

The friend called 911 and the toddler was taken to Morton Hospital and then med flighted to Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

The toddler was declared to be in critical condition and had to be intubated due to an acute head injury that resulted in a massive subdural hemorrhage.

The toddler also had bilateral ear bruising and bruising on his cheek and jaw, and the injuries were determined by a doctor to be “consistent with life-threatening injury and child physical abuse.”

During an interview, Taylor told police that she and her friend were in another room and told the victim lunch was ready, he got excited and fell off the toilet.

The friend initially told police that she was present when the victim fell, but later told Taylor she could no longer lie to police when she discovered the extent of the toddler’s injuries.

Text messages recovered from the friend’s phone show that Taylor said the friend had to lie for her because she was the only witness.

Evidence at trial proved Taylor caused the injury to the child’s head.