Toddler’s hand burned; police charge dad

YOUNGSTOWN

Police charged Van Barnette, 31, of 740 Broadway, with endangering children Friday morning after his 23-month-old son was discovered in the home at about 9:45 a.m. with second-degree burns on his right hand. When the boy’s mother came home, she noticed the burns and saw the child crying and took him to St. Elizabeth Health Center, police said.

Barnette told police the boy defecated in his diaper and got it on his hands, and Barnette washed them with warm water and dish soap. When the child’s mother came home, she saw the boy’s red hand and heard him crying, so she took him to the hospital. The doctor who treated the boy advised calling the Mahoning County Children Services Board because the burn would not have been caused by warm water and dish soap, even if his skin is sensitive.