Missouri couple accused of putting their baby in a microwave and turning it on

Two Park Hills, Mo., parents have been charged with abusing their baby, allegedly by placing it in a microwave and turning it on.

Derick Boyce-Slezak and Mikala Boyce-Slezak, both 22, were charged with the felony on Tuesday, and they appeared in St. Francois County Court the same day.

An employee with the Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division testified that Derick Boyce-Slezak put the baby, who is younger than 4 months old, into a microwave and turned it on for a “short period of time,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The employee also said that Mikala Boyce-Slezak, who intended to testify but did not on Tuesday, had said that Derick Boyce-Slezak also dropped the baby while trying to imitate a commercial on TV.

The baby’s injuries were discovered at a hospital. The baby suffered burns, a skull fracture and brain injury, according to court records cited by the Post-Dispatch.

Parts of the baby’s wounds were first-degree burns, according to the Daily Journal. At the hospital the couple said the burns were caused by a cleaning agent.

Mikala Boyce-Slezak said the infant had been cleaned with a towel that had a disinfectant on it, the Daily Journal reported.

At Tuesday’s court appearance, Mikala Boyce-Slezak cited her right against self-incrimination as reason for not answering a question about the baby’s injuries. Derick Boyce-Slezak also didn’t testify.

Bond was set at $500,000 each for the couple.

This story was originally published November 30, 2017 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Missouri couple accused of putting their baby in a microwave and turning it on."