Man gets prison in scalding

11/8/2006

It may have been an accidental scalding, but Tyron McMillan failed to get medical attention for his girlfriend's 2-year-old son after the child's hands were burned with hot water, prosecutors said.

McMillan, 28, who was convicted of child endangering, was sentenced yesterday by Judge James Bates of Lucas County Common Pleas Court to one year in prison.

"He had a duty to provide medical care for the victim," Louis Kountouris, an assistant county prosecutor, said in an interview outside court.

The investigation into Dominic Bracey's injuries began Sept. 13 when police went to a home in the 1000 block of Sherman Street the defendant shared with the boy's 19-year-old mother, Tinesha Sherman.

Officers, who were trying to investigate an unrelated domestic violence incident at another location, found Dominic, his mother, and McMillan in the home and learned that the boy's hands were badly burned and his legs and buttocks were bruised.

Paramedics called to the residence immediately took Dominic to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, where physicians examined the peeling skin on his hands and diagnosed the injuries as being caused by extremely hot water.

McMillan told investigators he used hot water several days earlier to remove a household cleaner from the victim's hand that he spilled on himself.

Indicted on two counts of child endangering, McMillan entered into a plea agreement Oct. 24 to one of the offenses for causing the second and third-degree burns.

Judge Bates yesterday dismissed the remaining count in the indictment, fulfilling the terms of the plea deal.

Before being sentenced, McMillan apologized.

"I take full responsibility for what happened. It was an accident. I should have been more careful," he said.

The incident was investigated by Lucas County Children Services, resulting in Dominic being removed from the care of his mother and placed in the temporary custody of a relative.

"Dominic's burns are healing fine. He is making a good recovery," said Dean Sparks, the agency's executive director.

Judge Bates also handed McMillan an additional 17 months in prison for violating a community control sentence he received in Common Pleas Court in November, 2005, for a weapons conviction.