A 12-year-old boy from Augusta, Georgia, suffered severe second-degree burns on his face after three boys poured boiling water on his face while he was asleep at a neighbor’s apartment during the week of Jan. 4. According to his mother, Tiffany West, the boy is currently in recovery after surgery.
West’s son was sleeping over a neighboring apartment before he ended up in a Georgia burn unit. As reported by the Daily Mail, in the Tifton apartment, the three friends were supposed to be playing video games together. West explained that the other boys, who have not been named, and are 12 to 15 years old, decided to play a cruel prank on her son.
She expressed being “irate beyond belief” that the three boys decided it would be funny to pour scalding water on her boy as he slept. One of the other children threw the water on him, following through on the planned “prank” and leaving West’s son with scars on his face and body that will likely never fade.
The incident resulted in West’s son being rushed to the hospital and receiving surgery to treat his burns. He’s thankfully finishing his physical recovery at home, surrounded by family.
West revealed that she and her family decided to pursue legal action against the three boys. Soon after the incident, all three were arrested, and a criminal hearing is set for sometime in February.
Although the specific individual charges have not been released, West is adamant about ensuring justice is served because of the severity of the victim’s condition.
West’s sister, Nachelle Austile, explained
that the entire family is going through a rough time due to the shock of the burning and the medical bills that have come with the 12-year-old’s hospitalization. Several of his family members have admitted to taking leave from their jobs to stay home with him during his recovery.Austile added, emotionally, that her nephew would likely need counseling on top of his physical recovery to “be able to trust people again.”
West recalled her reaction when she heard about what happened to her son. She told the outlet, “In that moment, I was just mad, hurt, in shock. Everything I saw was red. I was just trying to hurry up and get him some help.”
All three of the involved boys have been released to the custody of their families.
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