Mom And Boyfriend Accused Of Leaving Two-Year-Old Brain Dead, Waited 36 Hours Before Getting Him Medical Care

The News Star is reporting that Lindsey McBride, 25, and John Harper, 32 are facing charges of cruelty to a juvenile after the toddler was taken to hospital for the treatment of second-degree burns he had sustained.

On April 5, investigators were notified by social services about a two-year-old child at the pediatric care unit with burns on his genitals, buttocks, and both legs.

According to the court documents, the toddler also had splash burns on his face and old and new bruises dotted all over his body.

He was unconscious when he was brought to LSU-Shreveport.

Doctors claimed the young child had been deprived of oxygen, suggesting that he might have been strangled. A surgical operation was carried out on his skull in order to help relieve brain pressure.

Doctors are saying the toddler is brain dead because he was unable to maintain a blood pressure.

Lindsey McBride told deputies that her son fell down the steps at their West Monroe residence in Louisiana. McBride would later change her story, telling investigators that the child accidentally pulled a pot of water off the stove that caused his burns.

The 25-year-old woman admitted to detectives that she waited more than 36 hours before taking the child to the Glenwood Regional Medical Center because she opted to treat his injuries at home.

A woman told detectives that she often watched the child during the week. However, she pointed out that McBride did not use her services the week the child ended up at the hospital.

According to the woman, McBride had told her that her friend that John Harper would be watching the child during the day.

A nurse revealed that the child’s injuries did not match the version of events relayed by the boy’s mother, adding that the toddler had also tested positive for amphetamines.

Police are searching for evidence at the residence to corroborate McBride’s story that the boy was treated at home after the domestic accident. Detectives are also working to establish the temperature of the scalding water.

McBride was booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on Tuesday with bail set at $65,000. Harper has also been remanded at the same correctional center with bail pegged at $65,000, WDSU is reporting.