North Las Vegas man arrested in death of 1-year-old daughter

By Tiffany Gibson

Thursday, June 10, 2010 | 3:18 p.m.

Kevin Taylor

A 20-year-old North Las Vegas man has been charged with murder by child abuse in connection with the death of his 1-year-old daughter.

North Las Vegas Police spokesman Tim Bedwell said officers were called to a house in the 2200 block of McCarran Street at 7:23 p.m. June 4 on reports that a child wasn’t breathing. While en route, officers were told by paramedics that the child had gone into cardiac arrest, according to an arrest report.

The girl, identified as Kaitlyn Taylor, was hospitalized in critical condition with several broken bones in her ribs and clavicle, as well as cerebral bleeding, police said.

Detectives interviewed her father, Kevin Taylor, who said he was playing with Kaitlyn and hitting her with a cotton pillow when she started to cry and went limp. He said he tried to shake the girl and poured water on her, the report said. Kaitlyn was still unresponsive.

Medical officials said the girl’s injuries weren't a result of a cotton pillow. Taylor told officers he often plays rough with Kaitlyn and his other child because he doesn’t want them to grow up and “be taken advantage of.”

According to police, Taylor said he would grab Kaitlyn by a leg and arm, swing her around and throw her on the bed and pillows against the wall, the report said. Police said Taylor also told detectives he would push the girl’s face down into the bed forcefully.

Police arrested Taylor June 4 on one charge of child abuse with substantial bodily harm. The girl died Tuesday, according to the Clark County Coroner’s Office. Her official cause of death hasn’t been determined.

Taylor is now being charged with murder by child abuse. He was arrested in 2009 for child abuse with substantial bodily harm and is on parole, police said.

He is currently being held in the North Las Vegas Detention Center with bond set at $750,000. This is the ninth murder in North Las Vegas this year.