A Kentucky mother and her boyfriend were charged for inflicting severe burns on a toddler’s hands and forearms, police said.
Employees at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville contacted police after the 3-year-old boy arrived at the hospital with burns consistent with being submerged in hot liquid.
The toddler reportedly told officers, “Jacob did this to my hands,” leading to the arrest of his mother’s boyfriend, Jacob Snead.
The boy’s mother, 24-year-old Breanna Lair, reportedly told detectives that she left her son with Snead, 25, for about an hour despite being prohibited from doing so by Child Protective Services.
The mother reportedly waited for three hours before seeking medical help for her child and allegedly lied about how the toddler sustained the burns.
Lair, a teaching assistant at an elementary school, and Snear, who was being investigated for child abuse involving the same child, were charged with criminal abuse of a child.
Snead has an additional assault charge. The boy’s current condition was not disclosed.
