Mom Charged After Tot Left Alone Badly Burned

4-year-old girl left with 6-year-old sister badly burned: Police

A South Florida mom is behind bars after police say her 4-year-old daughter was badly burned after she was left inside the family's home alone with her 6-year-old sister.

Dominga Antonio, 39, was arrested late Wednesday after firefighters responding to a house fire in Lake Worth around 9 p.m. found the two young girls standing outside the burning apartment.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, the 4-year-old was naked and had burns on her chest and legs. The girls were reportedly playing with candles and a lighter when her dress caught fire.

The girl was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital with burns on over 25 percent of her body, firefighters said.

Police say the 6-year-old told deputies that they had been left alone in the apartment. Antonio arrived home about 30 minutes after the fire was reported, officials said.

Antonio told officers that she left the girls to pick up another child in West Palm Beach. She was arrested and charged with child neglect.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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