Shawn Main

On Friday, a Maricopa woman was found guilty of murder in relation to the 2015 passing of a 3-year-old child.

According to a judge in Pinal County Superior Court, Shawn Main, 53, has been convicted of first-degree murder along with one charge of class 2 felony child abuse and two charges of class 4 felony child abuse.

On November 19, 2015, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office reported that Main was en route to the hospital with 3-year-old Tiana Rosalie Capps when she dialed 911 due to the child’s serious injuries. She pulled over at the intersection of Amarillo Valley Road and Century Road, located south of Maricopa. Emergency personnel administered CPR and transported Tiana to the hospital, where she ultimately passed away.

As per the Department of Child Safety, the young child was observed to have sustained two black eyes, bruises on her head and stomach, and was suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition. The autopsy concluded that Tiana’s death was a result of multiple instances of blunt-force trauma.

During the search of Tiana’s residence by deputies, they discovered that the house was in a deplorable condition, filled with animal waste and cluttered with belongings. Tiana resided in the house with Main, Maria C. Tiglao, and Tina Morse, who is her biological mother, along with three boys.

At the time of their arrest in 2015, the children of Morse were aged 5, 4, and 5 months.

On Christmas Eve in 2015, the three women were taken into custody.

According to the PCSO, Morse acknowledged that she was not the one responsible for taking care of Tina. Instead, it was Main who took on this responsibility. Main also admitted to being in charge of Tiana when she sustained fatal injuries. However, Main stated that the 3-year-old girl had hurt herself by falling repeatedly.

However, the explanation was not accepted by the investigators and the judge. The prosecution argued that the victim had suffered “multiple blows to the head and face” and that these injuries were not consistent with a fall.

The trial of Main did not involve a jury as it was a bench trial, therefore the decision of her guilt or innocence was made by a judge.

The date for her sentencing has been scheduled for April 10. Main will not be subject to the death penalty.

In December 2016, Morse was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of child abuse.

Tiaglao was charged with five counts of child abuse. The current status of her case remains unknown.