Toddler disfigured by burns in ‘horrific’ child endangerment case in CA. Mom convicted
A toddler’s mom and a babysitter were convicted of ignoring the 2-year-old’s burns, leaving the girl permanently disfigured, California officials said.
A jury found them both guilty of waiting too long to seek medical treatment for the toddler after about half of her body was severely burned, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said in a Jan. 14 news release.
Officials didn’t say how the girl was burned, but during the trial the jury determined the girl’s 29-year-old mother “was aware of her daughter’s injuries and did nothing to help her,” the release said. The jury found the same was true of the girl’s 42-year-old babysitter, officials said.
“This case was horrific, and we pray for the victim’s continued healing and progress,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
Testimony and other evidence in the trial revealed the girl was brought to UCSF Children’s Hospital Mission Bay on July 25, 2023, with second- and third-degree burns to about 50% of her body, and the injuries were days old, officials said.
She was transferred to another hospital for specialized treatment for the severe wounds, where she remained for two months as she underwent “multiple surgeries, debridement, and skin grafts that were necessary, in large part, because of the delay in care,” officials said.
While there, medical professionals determined the girl’s burn wounds were seven to 10 days old, and some were more than two weeks old and had converted from second- to third-degree burns, leaving the toddler permanently disfigured, officials said.
The girl’s caretakers were each convicted of child endangerment, and her mom was also convicted of mayhem, officials said. They are in custody awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb. 4.
“The conduct in this case was particularly deplorable and heinous not just because of the injuries, but because it was an act committed by a mother against her child,” said Assistant District Attorney Melissa Demetral. “It’s exactly these type of cases where it is imperative we give a voice to the victim who — given their age — often cannot advocate for themselves.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Toddler disfigured by burns in ‘horrific’ child endangerment case in CA. Mom convicted."
