Mother of child left at St. Louis mall gets unrelated jail time

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- The mother of a 3-year-old boy who was left alone at the St. Louis Mills shopping mall has been sentenced to five years in prison for unrelated crimes.

Authorities found the boy the night of Feb. 9 at the suburban mall. His aunt recognized him from news accounts as Cortez Bass the next day. But his mother, Shameka Taylor, didn't go to a police station to talk to authorities until three days after the boy was found.

She and two other people were wanted for stealing a teacher's purse from a church classroom in Clayton and using a credit card from it in 2000. Taylor pleaded guilty on one count of felony theft and three counts of forgery, then skipped her 2002 sentencing.

She could have been sentenced to much less time, 120 days and probation, if she had appeared at that sentencing. She was sentenced to five years on Monday.

The boy is now living with his father, who is seeking permanent custody.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: www.stltoday.com