Mom charged after baby girl suffers life-threatening burns
WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A Wyoming mother is facing felony child abuse charges after her nine-month-old daughter arrived at the hospital with a broken wrist and severe burns covering more than 16% of her body.
When Berline C. Burkholder was asked about the injuries, she initially told police she left her daughter “with a stranger (Uber driver) … while she spent the evening in an unknown hotel,” court records show.
The story fell apart and Burkholder eventually admitted: “Yes, I did something I wasn’t supposed to do,” court records show.
Investigators say the incident happened on or about Dec. 20 at a home on Hudson Street SW near Cleveland Avenue.
Burkholder was initially charged in late December with lying to a peace officer and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The latter charge alleges that Burkholder “failed to seek medical care in a timely manner.” The child abuse charges were added last week.
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Burkholder has a probable cause conference set for next week in Wyoming District Court. She remains jailed on a $20,000 bond. A phone call to her attorney was not returned on Friday.
Wyoming police were notified after the child arrived at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital on Dec. 20 “with severe burns over 16% of her body and a non-accidental fracture to her right wrist,” court documents show.
Burkholder “initially stated to police that she left (the baby) with a stranger (Uber driver) over the evening of 12/19 while she spent the night alone in an unknown hotel,” court records show.
“During a later interview, Berline changed her story to include that she used drugs and partied in a hotel room with unknown people during this time at the unknown hotel,” a detective wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
Detectives were able to discredit the story through interviews, cellphone records and Uber records.
The investigation concluded that Burkholder was the only individual at the Hudson Street SW home when the child was burned.
“When confronted by her boyfriend over a jail call, Berline admitted: ‘Yes. I did something I wasn’t supposed to do,'” court records show.
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The child was treated at the hospital on Dec. 20. A burn specialist indicated that a delay in seeking treatment “would cause a severe risk of developing hypovolemic shock, which is a life-threatening condition.”
The doctor “stated he believes the injuries were caused by a scalding hot liquid being poured over (the baby) while she was laying on her back,” court records indicate.
Burns to the child’s toes are also consistent with a scalding hot liquid burn, “but were likely caused by a separate exposure,” according to court records.
“As a 9-month-old, (the baby) was unable to cause these injuries to herself,” the officer wrote.
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