GUILTY CO - Audrina Montoya, 14 mos, scalded to death, Denver, 16 Jan 2006

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mysteriew

mysteriew

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The mother of a 14-month-old girl was in jail Tuesday after her toddler was found floating in a bathtub with burn marks all over her body.

Michelle Pickett, 22, is under arrest for investigation of child abuse resulting in death. She is being held on $200,000 bond.

According to the arrest affidavit, paramedics were sent to a fourth-floor apartment on the 1100 block of Decatur Street at about 7 p.m. Monday on a call of a baby in cardiac arrest. When paramedics arrived, they found the baby unresponsive and unconscious. The girl had burns from head to toe, according to the paramedics.

A neighbor, Jerry Burton, told police that Pickett had knocked on his door holding her baby in her arms, asking for help.

Burton noticed that the girl was not breathing and "had been burned to the point her skin was peeling off," according the arrest affidavit. Burton tried to resuscitate the toddler but was unsuccessful. The toddler was rushed to Denver Health Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/6174667/detail.html
 
:furious: she left a 2 yr old and this poor little thing in the bath alone for 8 to 10 minutes supposedly.the baby must have been screaming in pain from the hot water .where was the mother.
 
aussiegran said:
:furious: she left a 2 yr old and this poor little thing in the bath alone for 8 to 10 minutes supposedly.the baby must have been screaming in pain from the hot water .where was the mother.
Click to expand...

In the kitchen????
 
From the article posted by Mysteriew:

During police questioning, Pickett said that she put her 14-month-old daughter and her 2-year-old son in the bathtub by themselves to take a bath.

She said she filled the tub with warm water and then left the children alone for eight to 10 minutes while she did some errands around the house. While Pickett was in the kitchen, her son walked up to her and yelled his baby sister's name, she said. Pickett went in to the bathroom and found her daughter floating face down in the bathtub with burn marks on most of her body.

This just doesn't make sense to me. The two year old wasn't burned, so did he get out of the tub and turn the hot water on? I think something else happened to the baby before she put her in the tub for a bath, or she just put the baby in scalding hot water and didn't put her son in the tub. That poor baby must have been just screaming! The police must have been pretty sure the mother wasn't being truthful...Also from the article:

"I just know that when our officers arrived, they knew that something serious had transpired, enough to, as I say, transport the mother downtown and obtain a search warrant," said Denver police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez.

I just can't imagine the pain that poor little baby must have endured before she died. As sad as this is, she is in a better place now.
 
It is also noted in the article that the alleged mother has told investigators that she has attended parent training classes, and that she knows that you should not leave children unattended in the tub, but that she has done so in the past.
 
This just doesn't add up. One child burned, the other was not. And who, in their right mind would leave a 2 year old and a 14 month old in the tub alone? That's absurd!

ETA: Why would the bathtub water be set hot enough to burn like that? I know when my kids were little, we turned the hot water heater temperature down so that even at it's hottest, it wouldn't burn. I thought everyone knew that. :confused:
 
So many innocent babies are dying at the hands of unbalanced or evil care-takers. It makes me realize, I'm obligated to be nosy and call CPS if I see some suspicious marks on babies or hear excessive baby crying and never see the baby in my apartment complex. I need to look at children who look totally neglected...dirty clothes, inappropiate dress in cold weather, unkempt etc. I know this will classify me as a busybody, but when it could mean a child could be saved so be it.
 
Since Children's skin is thinner than adults, then burn quicker and are more vulnerable to hot water burns


http://www.safety-council.org/info/home/tap.html
In Canada, most home hot water heaters are set at 60 C. At this temperature, water burns human skin in one to five seconds. A child's skin will burn in less than one second. A slight reduction would have a significant impact on reducing the number and severity of injuries. It would take 10 minutes for a child to suffer a third degree burn in 49 C water, which some have proposed as the maximum temperature for domestic water heaters. However, there is concern about possible technical problems.
Click to expand...

Interesting about the number of injuries reduced when the industry turned down the installation temp.

Over 20 years ago, several American states (Washington, Wisconsin, Florida and others) mandated that hot water tanks be installed and pre-set at 49 C. In the State of Washington, hospital admissions for tap water injuries were reduced by half within the first five years. In 1988, the industry voluntarily agreed to pre-set hot water tanks across the U.S. to 49 C.
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Note: To convert the above mentioned temps to fahrenheit....

keep the water temperature on your hot water heater set between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit (48.9 and 51.7 degrees Centigrade)
 
Michelle N. Pickett

Housed: Denver Women's Correctional Facility
Sentence Date: 04/27/2007

Offense: Child Abuse/Death Knowing, Reckless
Sentence: 35 years

Next Parole Hearing: 09/01/2022
Estimated Parole Eligibility Date: 12/01/2022
Estimated Mandatory Release Date: 02/21/2040
 
Well, I am assuming it was no accident, considering her sentence. Not that I really thought it was an accident, but hoped. I wonder what happened to the two year old... Off to look. (but I am really bad at this, so maybe Belinda can help:) )
 
I wasn't able to find much of anything news-wise on her. And that is the only way to get any idea of what happened to her other child. Social Service records are tight as a drum, so no way to get it through them. If anybody else knows another way, please do tell!
 
Thanks Belinda. I couldn't find anything. I just hope the child is safe and happy!
 
Jamie1984 said:
Well, I am assuming it was no accident, considering her sentence. Not that I really thought it was an accident, but hoped. I wonder what happened to the two year old... Off to look. (but I am really bad at this, so maybe Belinda can help:) )
Click to expand...

Family tried to say it was an accident but MP admitted her guilt.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/6253374/detail.html

In a statement hand delivered to 7NEWS, the family said, "This tragic accident has left our daughter Michelle Pickett completely distraught."It goes on to say that Pickett is and always has been a devoted, loving mother, who has always loved and nurtured and cared for her children.
Click to expand...
:sick:
 
She was a great mother! She used to be one of my really good friends. We lived together in a teen pregnancy home. Soooo.... Just to fact check right quick. Yes, she walked away. We all know that's where she up. She stepped away because she also had water running in the kitchen and remembered. Said oh *advertiser censored*. And went out there got distracted. We assume one of the kids was messing with the knobs and a two year olds brain can say oh *advertiser censored* that's hot let me get out compared to a 13 month olds brain ain't up there like that and supposedly the water was so hot it put her into shock that's the cardiac arrest also caused burns. Her oldest is with her mom and family. As for the time she got hit with who knows why... But how does someone with intent to kill only do 10 years. The system is jacked.
 
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