News Releases

December 9, 2020: Lancaster Man Charged with Decapitating Two Children, Abuse of Two More

Contact: 
Ricardo Santiago, Public Information Officer
(213) 257-2000

A Lancaster father of four has been charged with decapitating his teenage son and daughter and abusing his other two boys last week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced today.

Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. (dob 8/26/86) faces two felony counts each of murder and child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death.

Deputy District Attorneys Alexander Lara and Kirsten Brown are assigned to case MA080335.

Arraignment was scheduled yesterday but continued to December 21 in Department A01 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Antelope Valley Branch.

Taylor is charged with fatally stabbing Maliaka T., 13, and Maurice T., 12, on November 29. The defendant’s other two boys, ages 8 and 9 were allegedly shown their murdered siblings and were forced to stay in their bedrooms for several days without food, the prosecutors said.

If convicted as charged, Taylor faces a possible maximum sentence of more than 57 years to life in state prison.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Lancaster Station.