ANIYAH JOHNSON-COVINGTON - 8 Months/ Accused: Mother-Amber Johnson - Jacksonville FL

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office booking photo of Amber Johnson





JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
The mother of an 8-month-old girl scalded by hot
water in a bathtub has been arrested and charged with child neglect and
aggravated child abuse.

Amber Johnson, 21, is charged in the incident at a Hogan's Creek
apartment complex last week that left the baby in critical condition.
According
to an arrest report, Johnson admitted she left the baby, Aniyah, and
another child in the tub unattended while she went to retrieve clothing
and other items.
The water in the tub was 140 degrees, according to the report.


Aniyah was flown to a Gainesville hospital with third-degree burns. She remains hospitalized.
The
girl's father, Irvin Covington, who filed for custody of his daughter,
wasn't at the apartment at the time but said it was an "irresponsible
accident."
He's hopeful Aniyah will fully recover.
The charges against the girl's mother is upsetting news to Covington, who still isn't sure exactly how his daughter was burned.
"I
don't know, man. My feelings are up and down about the situation
because she's never -- the charges that are against her -- she's never
shown me that she's that kind of mother. So I'm confused," Covington
said.
In the meantime, he's preparing his apartment to bring his daughter home.
"It's
summer time, so I just can't wait to put her in this nice little halter
top here," he said. "(It) kind of brings me to tears a little bit, you
know."
As a single parent, Covington said he's struggling to make
ends meet. Friends and family are donating what they can to help, unsure
what special needs Aniyah will have when she checks out of the burn
unit at Shands Medical Center in Gainesville.
"I just hope for the best," Covington said.
He's
learning to change the bandages covering Aniyah's legs, and he said
it's going to be tough, but he's confident she will stay strong and will
be back in his arms before her first birthday.
A VyStar account has been set up to help the family. The account, in Irvin Covington's name, is No. 702932852.
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