The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

July 8, 2009

Man charged after 2-year-old suffers hot water burns

By Amelia A. Pridemore

A Raleigh County man is in jail after sheriff’s detectives say a two-year-old girl was severely burned — apparently, with “extremely hot” water.

Michael Scott Linkous, 20, of Coal City, is charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, according to a release from Sgt. Larry Lilly, chief of detectives for the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department. Linkous was arrested Tuesday. He is being held at the Southern Regional Jail in lieu of $125,000 bond set by Raleigh County Magistrate Steve Massie.

Detective Sgt. Jim Bare said a two-year-old girl, whose mother was dating Linkous, was in Linkous’ care July 5. The child sustained serious burns on her feet and back that required treatment at a Cincinnati burn unit. Bare said the wounds appeared to be “submersion burns” — which entails some portion of her body was immersed in “extremely” hot water.

The burns’ degree and percentage of the child’s body burned was unknown Tuesday.

Bare said the child’s is with her mother in Cincinnati. The mother is not believed to have been involved in this incident, but the investigation is ongoing.

Linkous and the mother were living together when the incident happened, but their present relationship status is unknown.

This incident follows another Raleigh County child abuse arrest in which the alleged victim was also very young. Daniel Wayne McKinney, 26, of Crab Orchard, was charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. He has been held in the Southern Regional Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond since his June 30 arrest.

Bare, also the investigating officer in this case, said McKinney’s three-month-old daughter was taken to Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital June 27 with “numerous” broken bones, and older injuries were found. The child has been released from the hospital, but she remains in Child Protective Services’ custody.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com

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