Who is Taylor Schaefer, the DeLand woman arrested on child abuse charges?
Early last month, Taylor Schaefer’s boyfriend, Shawn Stone, was arrested after severely beating her 5-year-old son with a mop in her home in DeLand, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
Almost a month later, Schaefer, 28, was arrested on 25 charges, including child abuse and child neglect.
Investigators found video evidence indicating not only that she was present and stood by while Stone, 32, punished her son for wetting the bed, but also of several other instances where the child was visibly injured and limping while in her care.
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Schaefer’s other son, who is 9, was also a victim of Stone’s abuse, according to investigators’ reports.
A GoFundMe account created for the children's medical expenses had raised more than $31,000 from over 500 donations as of Monday.
Here is what we know about Taylor Schaefer:
Who is Taylor Schaefer?
Taylor Schaefer is a DeLand resident whose home address is listed at Valley Forge Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
In addition to her two sons, Schaefer has a daughter, whom she said she was taking to a doctor’s visit (related to a cerebral palsy diagnosis) on the day of Stone’s arrest.
She and Stone began dating in February 2022. It was not until later in the year that Schaefer's sons came to live with her and Stone, according to Stone's arrest report.
Schaefer worked at the Community Partnership for Children, a child welfare organization based in Daytona Beach that coordinates adoption, foster care, and mentoring programs throughout the region.
The organization’s CEO, Karin Flositz, told The News-Journal Monday that Schaefer is no longer an employee. She was fired after Stone's arrest.
Prior to that, Schaefer worked as a corrections officer at a local prison for six months, according to the sheriff's office.
Schaefer was arrested Sunday night in Pasco County.
Why is Schaefer also charged with child abuse and neglect?
According to the sheriff's office, detectives obtained video that showed Schaefer at her home on May 9 (the day of Stone's arrest) after he had beaten her 5-year-old son with a mop.
She is seen mopping the spot where the child was physically abused.
Footage recovered by investigators showed prior instances of abuse and neglect. Video shows the child was repeatedly left with his hands bound behind his back for hours at a time.
Investigators spoke with Schaefer's 9-year-old son.
According to the report, he described how his mother did not intervene when his brother was abused. When the children complained, their mother would say Stone didn't do it, the report says.
"I think she was OK with it because she also does gets mad at him whenever he doesn't do what he's supposed to," he told investigators, according to the report.
Schaefer is facing 25 charges, which include child abuse, child neglect, false imprisonment, failure to report child abuse, conspiracy to commit those crimes, and evidence and witness tampering.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: DeLand woman arrested on child abuse charges had custody since 2022
