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Background: The neighborhood on Barks Drive in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (Google Maps). Inset: Jeny Soto-Duenas (Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office).
According to authorities, the incident came to light when the children, aged 3 and 5, were admitted to a local hospital with significant burns on their hands. A family member reported to the police that Soto-Duenas confessed to deliberately inflicting the injuries. The shocking admission detailed how she pressed the children’s hands onto a hot griddle after they asked for more food, despite having already eaten.
The incident unfolded early Tuesday morning at a trailer home where Soto-Duenas was entrusted with the children’s care. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Sheriff’s Office described the burns as “severe untreated,” underscoring the lack of medical attention provided to the children following the ordeal.
The situation escalated when a relative confronted Soto-Duenas about the injuries. She allegedly expressed frustration over the children’s request for additional food, leading to her extreme and harmful response. The charges against Soto-Duenas include child neglect causing great bodily harm, highlighting the gravity of her actions and the impact on the young victims.
Police said that the children were brought to a Florida hospital on Tuesday night with “severe untreated burns on the palms of their hands.” When the relative spoke to Soto-Duenas, she allegedly said that she became “frustrated” with the children for asking for more food, so she “intentionally placed both of the victims’ hands on a hot griddle and held them down.” According to police, Soto-Duenas did not provide the children with any medical treatment for the burns.
The alleged incident caused second- and third-degree burns to the children’s palms. They were both taken to a burn center in Alabama for further treatment.
Soto-Duenas was arrested on Wednesday. She is being held without bail at Okaloosa County Jail. The sheriff’s office also noted that she was on an ICE hold.