The Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse
A 58-year-old woman pleaded guilty Thursday to leaving six of her grandchildren ranging in age from 2 to 11 alone in a room at the Pineapple Inn & Housing Center in James City County for several hours.
Diana Lynn Taliaferro was arrested April 12 after Child Protective Services and police responded to the hotel room and found the children inside. They were taken from the room and turned over to a family friend.
Taliaferro called an acquaintance late April 10 or early April 11 who was living at the hotel and asked that person to occasionally check in on the kids because she had to go somewhere.
That person told Taliaferro he or she had to go to work at 8:30 a.m. Taliaferro did not return by the time that person had to leave for work. By 9 a.m., Child Protective Services was contacted, according to Williamsburg-James City County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Maureen Kufro.
Taliaferro returned to the hotel room by late morning or early afternoon, Kufro said. Deputy Chief Stephen Rubino of the James City County Police Department told WYDaily in April there were “several stories” pertaining to what Taliaferro had been doing while she was gone and she was believed to be under the influence of alcohol.
She was charged with five misdemeanor counts and one felony count of child neglect. The five misdemeanors were dropped at a June hearing in Williamsburg-James City County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
She accepted a plea agreement Thursday that will have the felony charge reduced to misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor if she remains at peace and good behavior and fulfills the terms of her probation for the next year. If she meets those requirements, she will face no active jail time from the misdemeanor.
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