Court preps for ‘pre-trial’ against woman accused of killing 3-year-old

The woman accused of causing the 2015 death of a 3-year-old girl was back in Superior Court Monday afternoon.

Shawn Main, 46, appeared in front of Judge Kevin White as her attorney requested to set a date for a “Chronis” hearing.

This specific hearing only applies to capital cases and is “effectively a pre-trial probable cause hearing on the statutory aggravators that the state alleges,” said James Tanner, spokesman for the Pinal County Attorney’s Office.

The two-hour court date is set for Dec. 1 at 8:30 a.m., and will feature appearances made by case witnesses.

The hearing is in preparation for a July trial. The state alleges Main caused the blunt-force trauma death of Tiana Rosalie Capps.

Living in the home at the time of Tiana’s death in unincorporated Maricopa were Tiana’s three siblings. Their two caregivers were Main and her wife, Maria Tiglao.

Another woman apparently living in the home was the children’s biological mother, Tina Morse, who said she did not contribute any care to her children.

After Tiana’s death, all three women were charged with varying counts of child abuse.

As previously reported, Tiglao is no longer in custody. Her case is pending action until Main’s trial concludes, Tanner said.

Morse is spending two years in jail after she accepted a plea deal in December 2016 of two counts of child abuse.

A report filed in January by the Arizona Department of Child Safety and Gov. Doug Ducey shows all three women had contact with DCS prior to Tiana’s death.

In 2003, six reports alleging physical abuse to a child were filed with DCS against Main.

“The Department’s investigations, along with an investigation by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, determined that the child’s injuries were being caused either by self-harm or by attempts to restrain the child,” the report states.

In 2009, a report was filed against both Main and Tiglao alleging neglect to three children.

“The report alleged concerns regarding the condition of the home and allegations that food and water were being restricted,” according to the report.

Each of the cases were closed due to the state’s findings that the allegations were unsubstantiated.

In 2014, a report to DCS accused Morse of neglecting Tiana and her siblings.

“The report alleged the children were not being adequately cared for and noted concerns regarding the condition of the home,” according to the report.

Morse and the children were not living with Main and Tiglao at the time of the reported allegation.

The DCS investigation into the allegations against Morse “assessed the children as safe in the care of their mother” and the case was closed.

Tiana died in the care of Main a little more than a year later.  After her death in November 2015, the other children were removed from the home and placed in licensed foster homes, the report states.