A Syracuse woman faces charges of neglecting a dependent by putting him in a situation endangering his life or health.
Gabriella Jessica Alexander, 26, of 10080 N. Turkey Creek Road, Syracuse, was arrested Thursday after an officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department responded to a incident of a child who had burns on his feet, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
The officer spoke with the child’s babysitter who said Alexander brought the child to her residence Thursday at 5 p.m. and the child had blisters on his feet. Alexander told the babysitter she was going to take him to the doctor when she picked him up.
The babysitter noticed severe burn marks with large blisters on the bottom of the child’s right foot, toes, back heel and across the top of the foot. On his left foot, she observed large blisters across the top of his foot and across all of his toes. She also noticed large abrasions on the child’s buttock area and scrotum.
The child was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital. Dr. Mansfield examined the injuries and said the injuries were severe and had the child transported to Saint Joe Burn Center, Fort Wayne for treatment, the affidavit states.
The officer spoke with Alexander and she said she put her children down for a nap and she fell asleep around 1 p.m. Wednesday. When she woke up at 7 p.m., she said the house was destroyed because there was no one else in the residence to watch the children while she slept. She told the officer she noticed the burns on her child’s body, but did not know how the child sustained the injuries, and she did not plan on taking the child to the doctor. Kosciusko County Child Protective Services removed the child from Alexander’s home.
Alexander is being held in the Kosciusko County jail on a $4,000 bond.
(Story By The Times Union)
