Payson woman already accused of child abuse now faces new charge

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PAYSON — A Payson woman who already faces a charge of child abuse has been charged again.

Heather Lynn Tanner, 26, was charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with child abandonment, a third-degree felony.

According to charging documents, Payson police went to Tanner’s residence in August and discovered a 3-year-old child “wandering without clothes on.”

Police could not find a person watching the child. When Tanner returned home, she “admitted she left the child without a supervising adult,” the charges state. The charges do not say how long the child was alone.

In November, Tanner was also charged with child abuse, a class A misdemeanor, for the same incident, according to court records. She is scheduled to make an initial appearance in that case on April 9.

In 2014, Tanner entered into a plea in abeyance in Payson Justice Court, pleading guilty to child abuse, a class B misdemeanor, as well as intoxication and disorderly conduct, according to court records. She was ordered to enter substance abuse treatment and take a parenting class, court records state. Her charges were then dropped after successfully completing the terms of her probation.