The story of Shanesha Taylor, the Arizona mother who left her kids in a hot car while she went on a job interview has come to a happy conclusion. Under a deal that Arizona refers to as deferred prosecution, Taylor, 35, will have to take parenting and substance abuse classes but will avoid jail time.
The mother, who left two of her three kids in an SUV with the car on but not the AC in 100 degree weather, says she was desperate. At the time, she was both homeless and unemployed.
She appeared on the Today show and told Matt Lauer that her children were the primary motivation for her decision.
“I had to make a choice between providing for my children and caring for my children,” she said.
After capturing the attention of people nationwide, a young woman moved by her story started a crowd funding drive for her. Taylor ultimately received donations of nearly $115,000, which, as part of her agreement with the county attorney, is placed in a trust fund to pay for her children’s education, according to her attorney Benjamin Taylor, who appeared with her on the show.
The state still has custody of Taylor’s children but she has had supervised visits with them since May and has used a portion of the money to secure housing.
Lauer characterized Taylor as becoming somewhat of a symbol of the American working poor.
(Photo: Today show screenshot)
