Evil stepmother arrested after little girl dies from untreated boiling water burns: Police

A Texas mother is behind bars after she refused to get treatment for a little girl who accidentally burned herself with scalding water.

ABC reports that police arrested 42-year-old Juana Marquez for failing to seek medical attention after her 4-year-old stepdaughter, Amberly Quiroz, grabbed boiling water from the stove on Saturday morning and accidentally dropped it on herself. The water burn the girl’s arms, face, and chest.

According to police, Marquez said she was giving her other children a bath and didn’t realize Amberly was by the stove in their Corsicana home. Marquez said the child’s father was out of town working at the time.

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Marquez said she tried to help the girl herself and reportedly put Noxzema on the burns to help her cool down. Marquez said she put the little girl to bed after she stopped crying and gave her milk. The following morning, when Marquez noticed the girl unresponsive, she called 911.

First responders arrived at the home at around 8:50 a.m. Amberly was pronounced dead at the scene, around 12 hours after the accident.

Juana Marquez mugshot
Juana Marquez [Police Handout]
One of the suspect’s other children told police that the little girl kept crying but Marquez “kept telling her (Amberly) to hush before sending her to her own bed.” Marquez’s story contradicted the other child’s version of events. The suspect said she put the little girl in bed with her and at some point during the night, the child woke up and wanted to sleep in her own bed.

“At no time during the night did she go and check on Amberly,” the affidavit read.

Marquez reportedly explained that she didn’t take the girl for medical care because she had three other children in the home, all under the age of 6.

“Juana failed to provide any assistance to Amberly, including medical assistance or even attempting to call for assistance,” the arrest affidavit read.

Marquez was subsequently arrested and charged with abandoning a child, a second-degree felony charge. She remains behind bars on $50,000 bail.

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[Feature Photo: Pixabay]