A Texarkana, Texas, father accused of putting his 10-month-old daughter’s hand into boiling water pleaded not guilty Monday before a Bowie County judge.
Coleman was allegedly taking care of his 10-month-old and her 2-year-old sister from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 4, according to a probable cause affidavit. Coleman allegedly told investigators he was in the kitchen boiling hotdogs at about 9 p.m. with the baby crawling on the kitchen floor nearby. Coleman claimed boiling water splashed the child when he pulled the pot off the stove.
But the child’s injuries are inconsistent with a spill. Investigators showed photographs of the girl’s hand to a doctor at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
The baby’s hand was burned on the front, sides, and the back of her hand. The doctor noted that the child’s fingers were burned evenly all the way around and told investigators the second degree burns were likely caused by submersion in hot liquid.
Coleman was indicted for injury to a child by a Bowie County grand jury last month. The offense is punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
