An Ohio mother has been arrested after allegedly putting two of her children into an extremely hot bath and restraining them so they couldn’t get out of the water. The first responders initially got the call regarding a 5-year-old girl experiencing a medical emergency at home in Gunyan Township on June 6. But when they assessed the situation, it appeared something far more sinister was going on.
Three days later, the child’s mother, Malynda Rae Harrison, 22, was arrested on a charge of child endangerment, a third-degree felony, according to a news release from the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office. In the days leading up to her arrest, the pregnant mother of two posted cryptic messages on her Facebook page, leading many to criticize her parenting.
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The children received severe burns.
Harrison told police she put her 5-year-old daughter and another 4-year-old child in a bathtub full of hot water and would not allow them to get out or adjust the water temperature, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WSAZ.
The mother also allegedly told police she physically restrained the children in the tub. During their time in the extremely hot water, the children reportedly received serious burns.
Someone called 911 after Harrison’s daughter began to have a seizure.
WSAZ reported the 5-year-old girl had a seizure after being placed in the hot water, and someone in the home called for help.
“On Thursday June 6, 2024 at approximately 8:26 p.m., emergency medical personnel were dispatched to a call of a medical emergency involving a five-year-old female child on Hannan Trace Road in Guyan Township," the news release reads. "Upon the arrival, emergency medical personnel determined that the child had sustained severe burns to a large portion of her body. The child was transported to a Huntington area medical center to receive treatment for the burns.”
The sheriff’s office began a thorough investigation.
Per the sheriff’s office, detectives began investigating the bathtub incident. They soon determined the children were placed into the hot water on purpose, and the injuries they sustained were “a direct result of intentional acts committed by an adult entrusted to care for this innocent child.”
Harrison was promptly arrested and taken to Gallia County Jail. At this time, the status of her case is unclear.
The sheriff thanked first responders for their quick thinking.
Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin said in a news release that he is grateful to first responders who helped care for the seriously injured child.
“I want to personally thank the first responders who provided the care for this young child on the night that she suffered these horrible injuries. I would also like to thank and praise our detectives who have worked diligently to seek justice for this child to ensure that her abuser is held accountable,” his statement reads.
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Posts on Harrison’s Facebook page angered many people.
The 22-year-old is reportedly pregnant with a baby boy and has posted several times about her pregnancy. She also shared a status on May 2 that seemed to be a threat to her children.
“My kids are about to learn a real hard lesson on how to be greatful for the things that they have,” she wrote. Then on June 7, she posted a cryptic message, “Everyone pray for belle please don’t ask why.”
Many commenters condemned her behavior.
“You burn your baby and jump straight to Facebook to post but don’t ask why….. only prayer I will be making is that karma is real,” one person wrote.
Someone else wrote this: “i’ll pray for the babies, because they deserve better. but as for you, i hope you get every single bit of karma you deserve.”
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
