A mother and stepfather have been arrested in Waterbury, Conn. following an investigation into a 6-month-old baby who suffered severe burns after falling off a bed onto an electric heating pad.
Police said they were contacted by staff at Saint Mary’s Hospital on Oct. 24 when a baby boy arrived at the emergency room with second- and third-degree burns.
Keturah Williams, 36, and Damon Martin, 51 — the child’s mother and stepfather, respectively — were at home when the child was injured.
Investigators believe the baby was alone in a bedroom when he rolled off the mattress and got stuck between the bed and the wall while on top of a heating pad. They determined that Williams and Martin delayed seeking treatment for the baby while they continued to consume drugs and alcohol.
The boy was transferred to Connecticut Children’s in Hartford and released into the custody of the state Department of Children and Families after he finally received treatment.
Two other children who were in the home at the time of the incident were also taken into the custody of DCF.
Williams and Martin turned themselves in on Tuesday and were charged with risk of injury/impairing morals of a child and cruelty to persons.