DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A Summerville woman pleaded guilty Monday after allegedly leaving the country to escape charges connected to a 2014 child abuse case, the First Circuit Solicitor's Office said. 40-year-old Sarah Shakeri-Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful conduct towa rds a child shortly after a jury was selected for her trial in the abuse case. Shakeri-Taylor was sentenced to 9 years in prison and three years probation by Honorable Maite Murphy. In May 2014, authorities responded to a home in Summerville's Eagle Run Neighborhood after receiving reports about young children hanging out the second-story window. The children, who were determined to be two and three years old, were yelling out that they had been locked inside of their bedroom. No one answered when Dorchester County deputies knocked on the door, so they entered the home through a window on the first floor. When they searched the home, they found Shakeri-Taylor and another man sleeping upstairs while the children were locked inside the room. Deputies described the room the children were locked in as "dirtier than a dog kennel" as it was covered in feces. According to the solicitor's office, the two-year-old also had a fully soiled diaper duck taped to its body.An investigation revealed the children had been locked in the room for over 14 hours with no food. Shakeri-Taylor failed to appear in court in 2018, and authorities issued a bench warrant to arrest her. The solicitor's office said they believe she went to Iran while out on bond for the 2014 case. "Her whereabouts were unknown by Dorchester County until the death of her infant in 2024," a release stated. Chief Deputy Solicitor Kelly LaPlante prosecuted the case against Shakeri-Taylor. LaPlante said, "We are devastated that these children were locked in their room for such an extended period while their mother slept completely oblivious of the desperation of her own children. We are frustrated that Ms. Shakeri-Taylor was able to avoid prosecution for so many years. However, she is living proof that you can run, but you cannot hide in Dorchester County. We will eventually find you, and we will prosecute you." Shakeri-Taylor is currently held at the Al Cannon Detention Center for an open 2024 child abuse case that resulted in death. Deputies responded to a home on May 15 after receiving reports of an unresponsive child. When they arrived, first responders began life-saving measures before EMS took over. However, the child was taken to Summerville Medical Center, where they were pronounced deceased that night. Law enforcement collected baby bottles, formula, a pacifier, and a dollar bill from the home with a powder substance. Those items later tested positive for fentanyl. As a result, Shakeri-Taylor was charged with homicide by child abuse in Charleston County. ...read more read less