Two men accused of having committed felonies within the Santa Clarita Valley returned to court on Wednesday, once again receiving future court dates to appear.
Marcel Taylor
A Canyon Country man accused of killing his child was ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 28.
Marcel Taylor, 26, was charged last year with one count each of murder and assault of a child causing death after his daughter, Jelani, was found unresponsive by paramedics at a home on the 18000 block of Grace Lane in Canyon Country on Sept. 26.
The baby was transported to the hospital, but ultimately died a few days later at L.A. Children’s Hospital. The cause of death was listed by investigators at the L.A. County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office as “blunt force trauma.”
In November, his defense attorneys had filed a request for reduced bail, stating that Taylor had no previous criminal record and had been considered a proud father. Prosecutors alleged that the baby had died from blunt force trauma to the back of her head. The defense motion was later denied.
Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami stated, in his written response to defense legal counsel, that Taylor had told deputies he had been alone when watching the child, that he had shaken her and he had killed her.
A prelim setting is a hearing date to schedule a preliminary hearing — when the evidence is presented to the judge who decides whether the trial will move ahead.
Marino Giammarco
Marino Daniele Giammarco, 32, of Saugus, is alleged to have committed multiple crimes of sexual abuse on a child under the age of 14 between Aug. 1, 2016, and April 8, 2019.
Investigators also allege that on or about April 9, 2019, Giammarco committed a lewd act on the same child.
Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station arrested Giammarco on the afternoon of April 13, 2019, on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon.
After the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors decided to proceed with the sex charge allegations and not the weapons offense.
Giammarco is slated to return on Oct. 3 for a pretrial conference. During a pretrial conference, the involved parties establish timelines for concluding all pretrial activities, such as setting a tentative trial date, encouraging the settlement of cases, counsel trying to agree on undisputed facts or points of law, and more.
