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St. Cloud couple accused of burning daughter, 6, as punishment
A six-year-old girl is recovering from severe burns after her mother and boyfriend admit to pouring boiling hot water on the girl, as a form of punishment.
The mother worked at a daycare.
Investigators said the incident happened at a St. Cloud home earlier this week.
The mother, Yadzia Ivelisse Morales, would not answer any questions as she was escorted to jail, but her boyfriend, Roberto Junior Lopez, did answer some questions.
“I do feel bad about it,” said Lopez.
Police said Morales microwaved a bowl of water until it was boiling. Then she and her boyfriend both confess to pouring that boiling hot water over the mother’s six-year-old daughter to punish her.
“My understanding is that the child was crying and misbehaving, and just wouldn’t stop crying, so this was their way of correcting that behavior,” said St. Cloud Police Sergeant Denise Roberts.
Investigators said it was Roberto Lopez’s mother who noticed the burns while babysitting and notified police.
Despite his confession, Lopez denies actually pouring the water over the girl.
“I was not inside the bathroom. That’s all I’m gonna say,” said Lopez.
Investigators said the girl was burned on her neck, face and back. The six-year-old is continuing to recover at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando with second and third degree burns over 30 percent of her body.
According to police, Morales works at The Shepherd's Little Family Child Care Center in St Cloud. We reached out to the daycare for a comment and we are waiting to hear back.
Police said this is not the first time the couple has punished the girl in this manner. They said just a week ago, they made the girl stand in a shower under extremely hot water.
“It’s extremely horrific, it’s hard for our officers to deal with, it’s hard for the community to hear. Unfortunately they do happen,” said Sgt. Roberts.
The couple faces several child abuse charges and they are locked up in the Osceola County jail without bond.
The Department of Children and Families is also investigating this case. The child has been placed into protective custody DCF is looking into other family members as possible custodians after the child is released from the hospital.