Toddler who died was put in state care more than a year ago, deputies say

Samauri Mayes, the toddler who died Friday after suffering bruises and a head injury, was taken from her parents and put into the custody of the state Department of Social Services just over a year ago, a spokesman for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

The parents were Shawona Shanta Watts and Erick Mayes, Lt. Shea Smith said.

Virginia Williamson, DSS general counsel, said a Family Court judge decided to place Samauri with Lavonda Danellia Maxwell. The DSS role was to monitor the placement and provide services to the family, Williamson said.

Maxwell, 29, of Greenville, was charged last week with unlawful neglect of a child after the 29-month-old child was treated at Greenville Hospital System with bruises and a severe head injury, according to a warrant.

DSS is conducting a "child death review" that involves looking at records and interviewing supervisors to evaluate how the case was handled, Williamson said.

Also Monday, Watts was arrested after deputies were called to the DSS suite at County Square in Greenville at 10:15 a.m., according to Smith and an incident report.

A caseworker alleged that he was head-butted while meeting with two people about the death of their 2-year-old child, according to an incident report and Smith.

While no one was charged in the head-butting, deputies determined that Watts had an outstanding warrant with Greenville police, Smith said.

A bench warrant charges Watts, 30, of 305 Jenkins St. in Greenville, with failing to appear in court or failing to comply with a sentence in relation to a driving-under-suspension charge.

Samauri was put in DSS care after some family members tested positive for drugs, Williamson said.

Mayes, 30, of Greenville, said DSS asked him to take a drug test after he went to the agency on a matter unrelated to Samauri.

He said he failed the test, coming up positive for cocaine and marijuana, but that he never used drugs around his children.

Mayes said he had concerns about Samauri’s placement from the beginning and that he expressed them to caseworkers at least 10 times. One caseworker noticed a bruise and notified her supervisor, he said.

"They didn’t listen to her at all," Mayes said.

Williamson said she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Mayes case. When a parent complains, the agency’s policy calls for discussions with the parents, caregiver and school and daycare officials, along with a medical evaluation, she said.