Phoenix man accused of submerging 4-year-old’s face in scalding water
A Phoenix man allegedly held a 4-year-old’s face in scalding water causing him to suffer severe burns.
Ernesto Ronald Avelar, 27, is accused of causing second and third-degree burns to the boy’s face on Sept. 26, according to a Phoenix police report.
He allegedly left the boy in a dark room for three hours, until the child’s mother came home.
The boy’s mother took him to the hospital once she saw his injuries.
Hospital workers indicated that the victim was likely “restrained while being immersed in hot water.”
Avelar was apprehended at his apartment near 26th Street and McDowell Road in Phoenix.
He told police he drew a bath for the child, and left him alone to go care for a second child.
He heard a scream, and saw the boy in the water-filled tub, holding his face.
Avelar said he took the boy to his bedroom and treated his burns with aloe vera.