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A troubling incident unfolded in Idaho, leading to the arrest of a 34-year-old man after he brought his infant son to the emergency room with severe burns. The child, a mere month old, suffered second-degree burns covering nearly a quarter of his body.
Christopher Stum now faces serious charges, including injury to a child and tampering with evidence, stemming from this distressing episode on January 22. The details were reported by EastIdahoNews.com.
According to court documents, Stum was the sole caretaker of the infant at the time of the incident, which occurred at his residence. He recounted to officers that he was bathing the child and subsequently decided to “air dry” him. Concerned that the baby appeared cold, Stum prepared to warm the child by pouring hot water from a tub faucet.
Tragically, the situation took a dire turn when the hot water made contact with the infant’s skin, causing him to scream in pain as his skin reddened and began to peel. In a state of alarm, Stum promptly transported his son to the hospital for urgent care.
That’s when he rushed to the hospital.
Initially, Stum told investigators that he stuck a finger in the water and found it hot but not burning, but later admitted it was scalding but he thought it was fine.
Doctors said the water temperature had to be between 130 and 150 degrees to cause the kind of injuries the child suffered.
Officers went to Stum’s home and found the water in the home’s water heater to be 121 degrees, but Stum later told them it had been set at 150 degrees but he lowered it to 121 degrees before taking his son to the hospital.
He said he adjusted it so he wouldn’t appear negligent.
Stum is due in court for a preliminary hearing on February 11.