The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A woman from Wisconsin was arrested after allegedly abusing her 3-year-old son so severely that doctors had to perform emergency surgery.
On October 7, a woman called 911, claiming that her son had been burned by boiling water. According to reports, she waited an hour before seeking help, and when the police arrived, the boy was found with severe burns, bruises, and blisters. Some of his injuries looked like they were fresh.
After examining the boy, medical professionals noted that there were injuries all over his body. The injuries appeared to have caused the boy pain, and they believed that there had been multiple instances of physical abuse. It was noted that some of his bruises were consistent with being hit with an object. The child was sedated and underwent surgery because his skin was so severely damaged.
The authorities began investigating the situation, and during an interview with the mother of the child, she said the burns occurred while she was boiling water in the kitchen and briefly left the room. When she walked back into the room, she saw her son screaming and trying to get away from the water. She also let them know some of what seemed to be injuries were bug bites, and she said she did not physically discipline her son. The detectives did not believe her story matched the extent of the boy’s injuries.
When they dug deeper, investigators allegedly found text messages between the boy’s mother and father. They reported that the messages indicated that she had physically punished the boy before. Additionally, they asserted that they found the woman had done several suspicious Google searches, including topics related to burns, child protective services, and removing bruises from a child’s body.
When the authorities talked to the boy’s siblings, ages 5 and 7, they reportedly described how their mother regularly punished them physically.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of repeated acts of child abuse, and child neglect causing great bodily harm. She is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond and is not allowed to have any contact with her children.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.