ESL woman charged with scalding child

An East St. Louis woman has been charged with scalding her 3-year-old stepson in a tub of hot water and not seeking medical attention for him.

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly’s office on Thursday charged the woman, Brianna Sengleton, 26, with aggravated battery to a child.

She was being held Thursday in East St. Louis, awaiting an initial court appearance.

Authorities said they’re not aware of a motive.

East St. Louis Detective Carlos Coleman said Sengelton ran a tub of hot water and immersed the boy in it for an undetermined amount of time. The child suffered second- and third-degree burns on his legs, buttocks and genital area.

Coleman said the boy’s father, who has legal custody of the child, was not at home at the time.

“He had left home to go to work with a friend,” Coleman said.

The toddler’s biological mother is deceased, Coleman said.

A grandfather of the child discovered injuries on the boy in July.

“It was hot and the boy had on long socks and blue jeans. The grandfather took his socks off and saw that he had burns on his legs. He asked the father what happened to him and was told that it was eczema. The grandfather told the father that the boy had been burned,” Coleman said.

“The grandfather called his wife, who has legal rights to visit the boy, and told her what he saw. She contacted DCFS and they came out to the house , started an investigation and removed the boy from the father’s care,” Coleman said.

The child is now in custody of the state Department of Children and Family Services, Coleman said.

Neither the father of the child nor Sengelton sought medical attention for the boy, Coleman said. Coleman did not release the identify of the father, and declined comment on whether the father might face charges.

Sengelton was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

This story was originally published August 13, 2015 at 3:48 PM with the headline "ESL woman charged with scalding child."