Her tears have struck a chord.
More than $100,000 has been pledged to help a single mother from Arizona who was arrested last month after allegedly leaving her 2-year-old and 6-month-old sons alone in a hot car while she went on a job interview because she was unable to find a babysitter.
The mother, Shanesha Taylor, 35, was charged with two counts of child abuse. She has pleaded not guilty and was released on bail posted by a stranger, her lawyer told TODAY.com Wednesday. Her two boys are now in state care.
Her tearful mug shot has brought attention to issues facing the nation’s poor and unemployed, especially single mothers.
Amanda Bishop, a New Jersey woman who does not know Taylor, felt compelled to help. She launched an online fundraising campaign in support of Taylor, with pledges now totaling more than $102,000.
“There are some of us that feel that Shanesha was in an unfortunate situation that sadly an economy like ours is putting many single mothers in a position to make terrible mistakes like this,” the fundraising site says.
Bishop, 24, told MSNBC's Tamron Hall that she launched the fundraising campaign after viewing Taylor’s Facebook page and finding nothing but posts and pictures featuring Taylor’s kids. “That convinced me she wasn’t a bad mom, she just made a terrible mistake,” Bishop said.
She faces a maximum penalty of more than 8 years in prison, according to her lawyer, Benjamin Taylor, who is not related.
“This is a single mom who was trying to get a job, and unfortunately she was arrested for trying to get a job,” he said, adding that he plans to meet with prosecutors on Friday. “She wasn’t going to a liquor store. She wasn’t going to a party. She was going to a job interview.”
“This is a case where you have a single mom who’s doing her best, who’s trying to survive out here in the world,” he said, adding that it was her first criminal offense.
On Tuesday, he gave prosecutors more than 12,000 signatures on a petition supporting the desperate mom and also relayed her thanks by reading out loud a letter she wrote.
"The love, compassion and support of those of you around the world are nothing less than phenomenal,” her lawyer said. “I read all of your cards, emails and letters. They keep my spirits up. And your prayers brighten my darkest days. I read a message the other day that reminded me … it takes a village to raise a child. Thank you all for being my village."
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