Toddler died from burns in east Harris County

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A two-year-old girl died after she was scalded in a bathtub, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. And now investigators say the childcare agency where it happened wasn't licensed.

Investigators say the toddler was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital Thursday night with first- and second-degree burns all over her body. She was pronounced dead soon after arriving.

Witness Artrell Jenkins was nearby when the toddler's mother arrived THursday night.

"You could hear her cry through almost the whole apartment complex," Jenkins said. "You could hear the screams."

The state's childcare licensing agency says the small apartment was operating as a 24-hour daycare.

"This should have been regulated as a childcare provider," said spokesperson, Gwen Carter. "If you're providing care for children who are not related to you, you need to be regulated."

The daycare is now shut down, and Child Protective Services is also getting involved.

"So that we can make sure that if there are any other children in the home, they are safe," Carter said.

"It breaks my heart because I couldn't imagine feeling that pain," Jenkins said. "The pain is never going to go away."

No arrests have been made, but the case is still under investigation.