Three women from Oklahoma were charged after an 11-month-old baby was so severely burned that he had to get his leg amputated.
According to an affidavit, police were called after an 11-month-old boy was taken to OU Children’s hospital on Christmas Day when he began to suffer from a seizure and had breathing problems. The lower half of his body was showing signs of severe burns.
Breanna told police that she was the godmother of the boy and had been taking care of him since Dec. 8 because the boy’s sibling had hand, foot, and mouth disease.
The affidavit said Breanna told police that she was at her mother’s home watching the 11-month-old on Dec. 10 when she noticed the boy was having a seizure. At that time she was boiling water to make tea. She placed the hot kettle down on the table to attend to the child but sometime during the seizure the boy had grabbed the tablecloth and pulled the hot water kettle down onto himself, reported Fox 25 News.
The boy’s mother, Washington, had tried to get into contact with Breanna to see how her son was doing but did not go see him in person, reported the news station, citing court documents.
Authorities started doubting Breanna’s story after doctors said the infant’s injuries were inconsistent with what she claimed had occurred.
Doctors told police that along with third-degree burns on his lower body, the boy had bruises on his head and face and had a tooth knocked loose. He also had a subdural hematoma, also called a brain bleed, reported KFOR.
His injuries were so severe that doctors were forced to amputate his right leg at the hip, according to the news station. They said that his leg would not need to be amputated if the burns had been correctly treated after the incident.
Breanna was arrested on Dec. 19 on an unrelated matter and was released on Dec. 21, reported Fox 25 News, citing police. During that time Cordette Cole looked after the infant.
The mother and daughter were arrested on Jan. 22, and Washington was arrested on Jan. 25, according to the Oklahoma County Sheriff Office.
Breanna Cole is charged with child abuse and child neglect, while both Cordette Cole and Washington were charged with child neglect.
