Psych evaluation nearing completion for Aurora mom accused of dragging son by hair
A psychological evaluation is expected to be completed in February for an Aurora woman accused of dragging her 5-year-old son by his hair at an Aurora hospital.
Tanye M. McNeal, 26, of the 1200 block of Second Avenue, was charged with three counts of aggravated battery after the Jan. 14, 2019, incident in the Rush-Copley Medical Center emergency department where a Wisconsin woman recorded McNeal dragging the boy and called police, according to authorities.
Meanwhile, McNeal's defense attorney, Jorie Johnson, has said it was McNeal's first encounter with the state's Department of Children and Family Services, and that her client is not a "career criminal."
McNeal's case was up briefly Friday before Judge Charles Petersen for an update on her evaluation at the Kane County Diagnostic Center that was ordered in October 2019. McNeal is due back in court Feb. 27 after the diagnostic center requested an extension to complete the evaluation.
After her arrest, McNeal's bail was set at $100,000, meaning she needed to post $10,000 to be released while the case was pending.
Johnson, who could not be reached for comment Friday, successfully argued to have her client's bail reduced to $30,000, and McNeal has been free since late January 2019 after posting $3,000.
Johnson said McNeal and her mother were the primary caregivers and financial providers to McNeal's four children.
McNeal works as a nursing assistant and a hotel housekeeper, and her only previous arrest was for a retail theft in 2018 in Aurora under a local ordinance, Johnson argued in her motion.
"The allegations in the (current) case, though serious, are completely out of character for Ms. McNeal and an absolute, isolated occurrence," Johnson wrote in her motion. "She is absolutely not a 'career criminal' but instead is a productive member of society who works, has an education and supports her children."
Court records show McNeal also has completed eight parenting classes at the Family Advocacy Center since her arrest.
If convicted of the most severe charge of felony aggravated battery, McNeal faces a sentence ranging from probation to up to five years in prison.