$100,000 bail for woman who allegedly absconded with newborn son
A woman who allegedly spent six weeks on the run to avoid turning her infant son over to the state pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of custodial interference, second-degree criminal mistreatment and endangerment with a controlled substance.
Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered Myra Aguilar, 31, jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail during her arraignment in Pierce County Superior Court.
Foley also prohibited Aguilar from contacting or being within 1,000 feet of her son, Jeshua Taylor, until further order of the court.
Deputy prosecutor Lloyd Oaks had requested $500,000 bail, arguing that Aguilar is a known drug user with a criminal record who was using methamphetamine while pregnant with Jeshua.
Defense attorney Alex Kirigin argued for bail of no more than $10,000. Aguilar is a longtime resident of Washington and has family support in the area, Kirigin said.
Foley said she was concerned about Aguilar’s failure to appear in court on other cases and set the bail at $100,000.
Puyallup police, the Washington State Patrol and the FBI issued “be on the lookout” notices for Aguilar and her newborn son in early August.
The boy was born Aug. 9 at a home in Puyallup, and a roommate of Aguilar’s notified authorities that the boy might be having health problems, including meth addiction.
Officials with the state Department of Social and Health Services were monitoring her pregnancy, but she refused to tell them her due date and delivered the boy at home to avoid drawing attention to his birth, court records show.
A Pierce County judge then issued an order authorizing the state to seize the boy.
Aguilar was fighting the state to keep custody of another of her children when she became pregnant with Jeshua, court records show.
She was arrested last week in Cle Elum and her son was taken into protective custody.
This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 3:06 PM with the headline "$100,000 bail for woman who allegedly absconded with newborn son."