Man charged after girl seriously burned

HARRIS COUNTY – A Spring man was charged with endangering a child after a little girl suffered serious burns.

Police were called out to Texas Children's Hospital to investigate an injury to a child case on Nov. 29.  Child Protective Services (CPS) brought the girl to the hospital for treatment for several bruises to her face and body along with severe burns to her left hand and left foot.  Doctors told officers they did not receive an explanation for the injuries, and the injuries were consistent with child abuse.

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Officers interviewed Elizabeth Mae Pittman, who was keeping the child overnight.  Police say she told them she had observed the burns the previous day, and was told the little girl was burned while she was with her babysitter, Javier Hernandez.

Police interviewed Hernandez.  They said he admitted the child was with him when she got hurt.  He told police he and the girl were at his mother's house when he lit a fire in an outside fire pit.  He went inside the house, and when he came out he said the girl was throwing what was believed to be one of the hot lava rocks on the ground.

Hernandez told police he noticed the child's burns when he bathed her later that night.  He said he did not seek medical attention, but he treated the burns with a cream. 

He denied causing the bruises to her body.  He refused to gave a polygraph test.  According to court documents, Hernandez placed the child in danger by leaving her unattended and unsupervised around an open fire. He also did not provide emergency medical care right after the incident.

Pittman was charged with injury to a child by omission.