"Toddler John Doe" - 2 yo (2010)/ Accused: Irene Martin - Plainfield (W of IND Airport) IN

Police have arrested a Plainfield woman after a child in her care was found with serious burns. Irene Martin now faces three felony charges, including Neglect of a Dependent Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Battery of a Child.

Martin runs an in-home babysitting service out of her home. She called 911 an hour after she claims a toddler in her care fell into a bathtub filled with "lukewarm water." She said she called for help when she noticed the child's skin peeling off his back and buttocks area while trying to change his clothes.

Police think the toddler may have been burned as punishment for not succeeding in potty training.

The two-year-old boy was taken to St. Francis Hospital and later transferred to the Riley Hospital Burn Unit.

The case remains under investigation.

Babysitter arrested after toddler burned

Plainfield woman arrested after two-year-old suffers burns

Enlarge this pictureIrene Martin


Enlarge this picture


Plainfield - Police arrested a day care owner for neglecting one of the children in her care.

They say 37-year-old Irene Martin scalded a two-year-old boy with hot water, causing 2nd degree burns.

The photos of his injuries are almost too much too take. They show back of a toddler's body badly burned.

Police say it was all caused by his babysitter, Irene Martin.

Investigators believe she purposely put the boy in scalding hot water.

"This is probably one of the worst I've seen," said Plainfield Police Captain Darel Krieger.

Martin runs a day care out of her Plainfield home.

On Friday, police say she was caring for eight children, including three of her own, when she placed a phone call to 911.

(Dispatcher) "911, what is your emergency?'

(Martin) "I have a burned, I have a burned child."

(Dispatcher) "How old is he?"

(Martin) "He's only two! Two and a half!"

Police say Martin made the call an hour after the boy had been burned, when she noticed his skin peeling off as she changed his clothes.

Martin initially told investigators the boy fell into a bathtub with "lukewarm" water.

She told dispatchers:

(Martin) "He fell into hot water on his **** and his butt started peeling when I pulled his pants off. I didn't think it was that bad when I took off his pants and I went and got him some ibuprofen and I called his mom and I came back and his **** is like super bright red now."

Investigators say when Martin got to the police station, she changed her story. She then said the boy had been potty training and made a mess, so she took him to the garage and washed him off in the basin there.

"That's then where the child was submerged into the hot water," Krieger said.

Police estimate the water was at least 137 degrees.

According to the police report, investigators at Martin's home overheard her telling her husband "I made a huge mistake" and "it was a bad decision on my part."

And even in the 911 call, she says, "it was a dumb, dumb idea. I know."

Now Martin faces felony charges for child neglect, child endangerment and battery.

She has bonded out of the Hendrick's County Jail.

Police say the two-year-old remains at Riley Hospital for Children, with second degree burns.

This woman need to be burned. Maybe the inmates will give her a taste of her own medicine.

OMG this is horrible.

somebody needs to burn her ass! 2 year olds will have accidents-u have to be patient!!!! i thought mine was going to wear pull-ups and carry his "passy" to kindergarten but out of the blue one day he just started going to potty like we had been trying to get him to and he threw away his passy!! oh happy day!! u just cant force a child to be potty trained-forcing them only makes it more difficult plus it causes them more anxiety.

I wonder what happened with this case. She was supported to go to trial last January but I haven't heard anything. Is anyone able to find anything on it. I searched and found some info on some other chat sites but not if she was found guilty and sentenced to prison. I certainly hope so. She deliberately burned that baby as punishment. I hope he has healed but I'm sure he will suffer emotionally all his life.