John Jefferson
Malynda R. Harrison (Gallia County Sheriff’s Office) and the home where she allegedly burned her boyfriend’s young daughters (WSAZ screenshot)
A 22-year-old woman in Ohio was arrested over the weekend after being accused of abusing two young girls, allegedly leaving the children covered in burns after she allegedly forced them to remain in a scalding bathtub that was so hot that it caused one of the kids to have a seizure.
Malynda R. Harrison was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with two counts of felony child endangerment, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and emergency medical personnel at about 8:26 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, responded to a call regarding a “medical emergency involving a 5-year-old female child” at a home in the 17000 block of Hannan Trace Road in Guyan Township, Ohio. The child was said to be having a seizure in the home, which is located about 120 miles southeast of Columbus.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they noticed that the 5-year-old girl had “sustained severe burns to a large portion of her body.” She was immediately transported to a medical center in Huntington, Ohio, for treatment of the burns.
Police said they soon learned that Harrison was directly responsible for the child’s burns.
“As a result of this event, our team of detectives have conducted a thorough investigation into this situation and have determined that the injuries are a direct result of intentional acts committed by an adult entrusted to care for this innocent child,” Sheriff Matt Champlin said in a statement following Harrison’s arrest. “This individual was taken into custody by detectives on Sunday, June 9, 2024 and has been incarcerated in the Gallia County Jail for child endangerment, a felony of the third degree, after consultation with Prosecuting Attorney Jason Holdren.”
According to a copy of the criminal complaint obtained by Huntington, West Virginia, NBC affiliate WSAZ, Harrison is currently in a relationship with the father of the victims and was watching them at the time of the incident.
Per the complaint, in an interview with detectives, Harrison reportedly admitting to placing the 5-year-old and her 4-year-old sister in a bathtub filled with scalding hot water and would not allow the children to get out or make the water temperature more bearable, “physically restraining” the kids to keep them in the burning water.
Being forced in the hot water caused the 5-year-old to suffer “seizure activity” and second-degree burns while the 4-year-old suffered first and second-degree burns to her body.
Court records show that Harrison is currently being held in custody. She appeared for her arraignment on Tuesday and a judge set her bond at $500,000. If Harrison posts bond, she will be prohibited from consuming alcohol or being in places where alcohol is served.
“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,” the sheriff said in a statement. “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” stated Champlin.
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