BAIL HIKED IN DEATHS OF 2 BOYS FOSTER MOM BACK IN JAIL.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A foster mother accused of child abuse in the deaths of two boys left in her luxury SUV in near-100-degree heat was jailed after a judge boosted her bail to $250,000.

After singing a hymn with her supporters in the hallway outside the Lancaster courtroom, Leslie Smoot, 48, was taken back into custody at her arraignment Wednesday after Lancaster Superior Court Judge Richard Naranjo raised her bail from $100,000 to $250,000.

``The community entrusted her with the safety of the children. She is licensed by the state to be a foster parent. Her own foster children were left sitting in a vehicle at a day care center for over five hours,'' Naranjo said in court. ``I don't understand how. It's one thing to leave a loaf of bread or a six pack of beer in the car, but not two children.''

Before Smoot was remanded into custody, her attorney, Michael Eberhardt, entered a not guilty plea on her behalf to two counts of child abuse with special allegations of willful harm or injury to a child causing death.

If convicted, Smoot faces more than 15 years in prison.

Smoot is charged with leaving Nehemiah Prince, 3, and Dakota Prince, 5, in her Cadillac Escalade in near-100-degree heat for five hours on July 8 outside her Lancaster child care center, A Child's Place.

Smoot's family and friends - some of them members of Smoot's church, New Christ Memorial Church in Pacoima - filled up three rows of seats on one side of the Lancaster courtroom.

As Smoot and supporters waited in the hallway before the courtroom was opened, they sang a hymn called, ``There is a Lifting of the Hands.''

``She's one of the most wonderful people I have ever met in my life. This was just a tragic accident,'' said Hanne Moller, a fellow church member.

Outside the courthouse, two men carried signs protesting against the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the agency that placed the brothers in foster care in March after their mother was accused of neglecting them.

The men passed out fliers about a group called The Abused Parents Alliance. Their signs said, ``DCFS Kills More Kids,'' and ``Stop Taking Our Kids.''

Smoot had been arrested after the boys' deaths July 8, but was released from jail two days later after posting $100,000 bail.

At Wednesday's arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef asked Naranjo to set bail according to the Los Angeles Superior Court's standard bail schedule, which calls for $125,000 for each child.

``Two children lost their lives because they were left unattended in a car in 100-degree heat, where they cooked inside the car and died,'' Mokayef said. ``That speaks to public safety.''

Eberhardt argued that Smoot, a bespectacled woman with streaks of gray in her hair and wearing a cream-colored suit, had family and community ties and was not a danger to the community or a flight risk.

``She has been in family court on at least four occasions (since her July 10 release) in regards to her other children who have been taken from her,'' Eberhardt said. ``She is not a threat to society.''

DCFS officials said after her arrest that Smoot's biological child and her current surviving foster child were taken into protective custody.

Eberhardt said that there are no facts to support the contention that what happened was an intentional act and said no new information has come out that would warrant raising the bail.

``To raise the bail with no change of circumstances I feel will be highly unfair. $100,000 is more than adequate to secure her appearance,'' Eberhardt argued.

Naranjo said it was his job to correct mistakes in setting bail. Eberhardt said the judge had a duty to use the bail schedule as a guideline, and meting out punishment is not the purpose of bail.

Palmdale child care provider Robin Tarver attended Smoot's arraignment to show support for the defendant.

``I don't know her personally but as a child care provider, I believe it was a horrible, terrible mistake. It was an accident. Her greatest punishment will be the memory of those children for the rest of her life,'' Tarver said. ``I don't believe locking her up is the punishment that she deserves.''

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) Leslie Smoot, accused of child abuse in the deaths of two boys left in her SUV, was taken back into custody after her arraignment Wednesday.

(2) A sheriff's deputy ushers former foster mother Leslie Smoot to jail after a judge hiked her bail. She pleaded not guilty to child abuse in the deaths of two foster sons left in her SUV.

Rob Layman/Valley Press