FOSTER MOTHER'S TRIAL ORDERED IN BOYS' DEATHS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A Lancaster foster mother accused in the deaths of two boys left for five hours in her luxury SUV in near 100-degree heat was ordered Monday to stand trial on child-abuse charges.

Leslie Smoot, 48, said she forgot to take the two brothers, ages 3 and 5, out of her vehicle when she arrived the morning of July 8 at her Lancaster child-care center, A Child's Place, a detective testified.

``She said she forgot, she said she forgot they were in the car,'' Detective Michael Naccarado said at Smoot's preliminary hearing. ``When I asked her how she could forget ... she said, 'I had an out of body experience.'''

Smoot also said, ``I know I'm to blame. I don't know how I did it,'' Naccarado said.

Smoot has pleaded not guilty 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 outside her center July 8. U.S. Weather Service records said the temperature was 99 at the time she discovered them.

The boys had been under her care for about four months, and Smoot had taken them to the center with her, Naccarado said.

Smoot said she arrived at the center between 8:30 and 9 in the morning, and when she went out to the vehicle about 2 p.m., she noticed that the boys were unconscious inside, Naccarado said.

After emergency crews were called at 2 p.m., the older boy was declared dead at the scene and the younger brother died a short time later at Antelope Valley Hospital.

An autopsy determined that the boys died from the effects of hyperthermia, or excessive heat.

After ordering Smoot to stand trial, Lancaster Superior Court Judge Steve Ogden said he didn't know how she could have forgotten about the children, given that there were two children, ``no doubt making noise as (the vehicle) went down the street and pulled into the driveway.''

Smoot is free after posting $250,000 bail. Ogden on Monday reduced the bail to $200,000 after Smoot's attorney, Michael Eberhardt, requested that it be lowered to $100,000.

Eberhardt requested the lower amount in part because a high bail might prevent her from hiring a private attorney.

``Unless the court reduces the bail she may not be able to defend herself through a private attorney,'' Eberhardt said.

Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef said the bail was set according to a standard bail schedule, which should be followed.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

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Foster mother Leslie Smoot, shown at her arraignment July 30, was ordered Monday to stand trial in the deaths of two brothers under her care.

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