Dad put 4-month-old in ‘scalding’ water, then waited an hour to get help, Utah cops say

A dad was arrested after he was accused of putting his baby in “scalding” water, Utah officials said.

The 41-year-old dad from Eagle Mountain, was accused of putting his 4-month-old in water so hot it left the baby with third-degree burns to more than 40% of his body, according to a Nov. 12 probable cause document obtained by McClatchy News.

The dad is accused of not calling 911, the documented stated. Officials said he didn’t call his wife, who is a registered nurse, and waited for “at least an hour” to take the baby to urgent care.

The father told investigators even though the baby cried while being put in the water, he thought it was normal, officials said. It wasn’t until minutes later that he realized the water was too hot and saw the baby’s skin fall off as he dried him, according to the document.

He told officials he took the baby to another room and applied petroleum jelly to the burns, but the baby’s skin continued to fall off, officials said.

The man’s wife told officials he had used water temperature as a form of punishment in the past on another child, using “extremely cold water” in the bath until the baby “turned blue” to “toughen him up,” officials said.

The dad later told investigators he had used cold water on the other baby as punishment, the documented stated. Officials don’t know why the baby was put in the hot water.

Officers found pieces of the baby’s skin in the bathroom and in the garbage during their search, officers said.

He was arrested by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of aggravated child abuse charge, the document stated. McClatchy News is not identifying the suspect to protect the identity of the minors.

Eagle Mountain is about 40 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Dad put 4-month-old in ‘scalding’ water, then waited an hour to get help, Utah cops say."