Personal Trainer Accused Of Decapitating His Children Charged

LANCASTER, CA — A Lancaster man accused of decapitating his 12-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter forced his younger sons to look at their slain siblings as their bodies remained in the home for five days, prosecutors alleged Wednesday. The younger boys, 8 and 9, were also forced to stay in their bedrooms for several days without food, prosecutors told the court.

The case against a popular personal trainer accused of murdering his children was laid bare in court on Wednesday. Prosecutors outlined the disturbing details of a case that has shocked the region. The allegations against 34-year-old Maurice Jewel Taylor Sr. stand in stark contrast to the persona of a well-liked personal trainer known for his work at a popular Santa Monica gym.

Taylor Sr. was charged Tuesday with two counts of murder for the deaths of his 12-year-old son, Maurice Taylor Jr., and 13-year-old daughter, Malaka, along with two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death involving his 8- and 9-year-old sons.

The District Attorney's Office confirmed that the two older children had been decapitated. Prosecutors allege that the two children were stabbed Nov. 29. Their bodies were inside the family's home in the 45000 block of Century Circle when authorities arrived at 7:50 a.m. last Friday, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Eric Ortiz.

Taylor worked at a physical therapy center in Santa Monica but had been conducting training sessions via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some of his clients contacted authorities when they could not reach him for scheduled appointments in the week leading up to the discovery of the victims.

A woman — presumably the mother of the victims — and the other two children at the home were questioned by homicide detectives, who arrested the father just before 6:30 p.m. Friday.

He was initially held in lieu of $2 million bail, but his bail was increased Tuesday to $4.2 million while he awaits arraignment Dec. 21 at the Lancaster courthouse.

Taylor faces a potential state prison sentence of 57 years and four months to life if convicted as charged, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.