A Camden Point, Mo. woman faces a felony endangering the welfare of a child charge in Platte County after investigators allege she burned her child with hot water.
On Friday, June 30, crews from the Camden Point Fire Department, Camden Point Police Department and Platte County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Baber Road to a report of a baby burnt by hot water. Upon arrival, firefighters found a small child lying on the couch without any clothing. She was observed to rolling around and screaming, according to court documents.
Alyssa Wagers
Firefighters asked the mother, Alyssa Wagers, 25, to get a towel to wrap around and comfort her, but according to their statements, the mother allegedly did nothing.
A member of the fire crew picked up the child, and she allegedly wrapped her arms around the firefighter’s neck tightly, not wanting to let go. As the member passed the child off to the ambulance crew, the child once again clung to the medic, according to court documents.
Wagers had allegedly made a statement to emergency personnel to the effect of she was sorry and she didn’t realize the water was that hot.
In providing an initial statement at the scene, Wagers said she stood the child up in the bathtub and turned on the water. The mother said she left the bathroom to check on her other two children, and after being gone a short time, she returned to find the child screaming and standing under the water faucet in the bathtub.
Before calling 911, Wagers said she removed the child from the tub and saw the skin on her leg beginning to peel.
An air helicopter transported the child to Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Wagers provided the same explanation for the injuries to hospital staff. Doctors completed extensive examinations at the hospital, according to court documents, and their opinion stated the burns suffered could not have occurred as Wagers stated.
Doctors advised the type of burn was from water being poured, not from the water running from the faucet.
The primary location of the injuries was to the right thigh, and a splash burn was visible up the right side between her bellybutton and nipple, according to court documents. The burn stopped just above the right knee, but a small circular burn was on the inside of the child’s foot on the ankle.
The back of child’s leg also contained a burn. As a result of the burn, the child received a skin graft on her right thigh and flank, according to court documents.
Investigators asked Wagers to give a more formal statement after the incident, but she declined, saying she had retained an attorney. During a phone call with the child’s father, he told investigators that he only knows what he has been told and that he was not present at the time.
Since the incident, the Platte County Juvenile Office removed two other children from the home. Court records list Scott Campbell as Wagers’ attorney.
Wagers remains free after posting a 10 percent surety of a $15,000 bond on Wednesday, Aug. 16. She’s scheduled to appear in court in early September.