JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville couple is facing charges after a child was reportedly bathed in scalding water and received second- and third-degree burns on approximately half of her body, according to an arrest report obtained Monday by News4JAX.
The report shows the child was sent to the burn unit at UF Health in Gainesville for treatment. Na’Duania Jones, 22, and Charles Francis Jr., 20, were both charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect.
According to the arrest report, the incident occurred in September when Jones said she went to the store, leaving behind the child with Francis Jr. at their home on the Westside. The report does not list the child’s age or her relation to the couple.
Jones told police, the report states, that he asked her to hurry home because the child had burns all over her body, saying the child soiled herself so he gave her a bath in the sink.
According to the report, Francis claimed hot water was coming out of the cold side of the faucet. Francis told investigators that he stepped away from the baby for a few minutes and did not know until he heard crying.
Doctors, the report states, said the burn patterns on the child told a different story and that she was most likely placed in the scalding water and held there. Investigators said they tested the water from the hot side and found the temperature was 140 degrees.
The report states that police noted the treatment was delayed because Jones called several people and went to someone’s home until they advised her to call 911. According to the police report, she tested positive for THC, alcohol, amphetamine and methamphetamine.
Jones and Francis Jr. have bonded out of jail. They’re set to be back in court next month.