A Brevard County mother is accused of submerging her 3-year-old daughter in hot water, causing the girl to suffer serious burns, police said Thursday.
Sanika Murray, 20, of Cocoa, was arrested on aggravated child abuse charges.
The incident happened Aug. 17, and investigators said they initially believed Murray's story that it was an accident.
But doctors treating the child at Shriners Hospitals for Children, in Ohio, confirm the burns were inflicted and not accidental.
Police said Murray put the girl in a bathtub filled with water as hot as 140 degrees. The child suffered burns to 40 percent of her body, including severe burns to her legs and hands.
"It looks like the child was held down in the water," said office Barbara Matthews, of the Cocoa Police Department. "There would be different types of burns if the child sat in the water and realized it was hot and was struggling to get out of the water."
Investigators wouldn't go into detail if there are any prior reports of abuse.
Officials said the child will have permanent scarring and will continue to receive treatment for the burns.