A Wisconsin mother has sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by 13 years of extended supervision for the scalding death of her 2-year-old daughter last September.
Lisa Simmons from Milwaukee was convicted on June 14 of first-degree reckless homicide and neglecting a child for the scalding death of the 2-year-old girl Zayanna, CBS 58 reported.
A criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court against Simmons, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, says Simmons called 911 on Sept. 20, 2018 to report that Zayanna stopped breathing, had stiff legs, and was turning blue. When paramedics arrived they declared the baby dead.
An autopsy found the child died as a result of complications from thermal burn injuries.
Milwaukee mother charged in scalding death of toddler. #NBC15 https://t.co/ItqcePlXeA pic.twitter.com/RVDqWjsDNW
— nbc15_madison (@nbc15_madison) September 27, 2018
After providing several conflicting accounts of how the injuries occurred, Simmons admitted to the police that she filled a bathtub with hot water and put Zayanna in, but realized how hot the water was only after Zayanna had been kicking and screaming for a minute. Simmons said she tried to treat the burns at home but noticed it was blistering and peeling off.
Investigators, however, believed that the child would have to have been held in the water for a much longer time than Simmons claimed, considering how severe the burns were, according to the complaint.
Simmons told investigators she noticed the burns but decided not to go to the hospital because she was afraid Child Protective Services would take the child from her.
Wisconsin man Admitted Punching 2-Month-Old So Hard It Killed Him
A Wisconsin man arrested and charged last week for allegedly punching a 2-month-old boy as he was in the arms of his mother admitted to throwing the punches, prosecutors said.
Jaquirion Dancer, the newborn, died on June 5 after the beating at a house in Milwaukee.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox 6, Kenta Evans went to the home, where the baby’s mother lived, to see the baby.
While there, the adults got into a fight. Jessica McNeal, Jaquirion’s mother, told officers that Evans “quickly switched from wanting to see [Jaquerrion] to accusing [McNeal] of having other men in the house.” He also took her cellphone and “smashed it against the wall.”
McNeal picked up Jaquirion and asked Evans to leave, prompting him to punch her multiple times, reported WISN.
The sister of the woman rushed into the room and grabbed the baby before noticing the infant was bleeding and subsequently rushing him to the hospital.
Police officers said when they caught up to Evans hiding in the closet at the home of his mother he admitted to punching the baby multiple times.
Evans told officers that he was upset. He said that he tried taking the baby away from the boy’s mother and when he was not able to he “became frustrated and began punching her repeatedly.”
Charged: Milwaukee man admits to ‘punching’ 2-month-old infant, injuries led to baby’s death https://t.co/346DXR2S7M via @fox6now
— Derica Williams (@dwilliamsfox6) June 10, 2019
When Evans was shown the injuries inflicted upon the baby, he “admitted he caused the injuries by punching” the boy.
Doctors found the baby suffered skull fractures, hemorrhaging, and other brain injuries. An autopsy identified the cause of death as homicide.
Evans was charged with first-degree reckless homicide.
Kenta Evans Sr., Evans’ father, told Fox 6 that his son blacked out with rage.
‘He was so sweet:’ Family speaks out with charges pending in case of 2-month-old baby who died https://t.co/uLDGlJFRA8 via @fox6now Hear why the child’s grandmother says there is more to the story on @fox6wakeup
— Derica Williams (@dwilliamsfox6) June 9, 2019
“He said he blanked out,” Evans Sr. said. He then blamed McNeal.
“Our son is taking responsibility for his part. He would never hurt that baby. You put this baby in harm’s way by picking this baby up and using him for a shield. He is struggling, hurting behind this. He says, ‘Dad, I miss my little man every day.’ My son says, ‘I miss my little man,’” said Evans Sr.
Rev. Dan Quakkelaar, a pastor who met with the baby’s mother following the death, said that she’s “very sad.”
“You know, this is her little boy who was born not long ago, a preemie who was fighting and doing well, and for her this is a huge tragedy,” he told CNN. “You can tell from the picture that he was a beautiful boy and full of life, and it’s hard to deal with when a life like that is lost and so tragically and so unnecessarily.”
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
