8-year-old boy burned, scarred after 9-year-old neighbor pours boiling water over his head

Lileana Pearson Image
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Girl pours boiling water on 8-year-old boy over walkie-talkie toy
WARNING: This video contains graphic images of the 8-year-old's burns following the boiling water incident.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A mother said she's devastated her son, who was burned from boiling water being poured over him by a 9-year-old, will bear the scars of this encounter for the rest of his life.

"It just doesn't sit right with me that my baby, 8 years old, has to suffer," Ebone Scurry said.

Scurry tells ABC13 her 8-year-old son Donald, whose family calls him Junior, was playing with his 9-year-old neighbor when an argument over a toy walkie-talkie happened. Junior told his mom the 9-year-old went inside the home, got a cup of boiling water, and came back out.

"She comes and pours boiling hot water down the side of his face," Scurry said.

Junior went home and called his mom, who was at work. Junior said he was OK, and when Scurry got home, his face seemed fine, but the following morning when Scurry went to check on him, it was a different sight.

"It was like, 'What do I do?' I called my aunty, and I said, 'What do I do?'" Scurry said.

Junior was rushed to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was diagnosed with second- and third-degree burns.

Down the road, ABC13 met Dynasti Williams, the mother of the 9-year-old girl.

"When I (saw) his face, I was like, 'Oh my God.' I couldn't even believe it," Williams said.

Williams said this encounter was building up for some time, claiming Donald had scratched her daughter's face and pulled her hair. Still, she does not agree with what her daughter did.

"She feels bad about it. She regrets it. I don't know if she knew it would be that drastic," Williams said.

Scurry says regardless, she wants to see some form of repercussions.

"You're going to tell me no one is being held accountable for it?" Scurry asked.

Houston police reported this is an open investigation, but according to the district attorney's office, under Texas State law, a child under 10 cannot face legal repercussions, and they are not yet recognized as a juvenile, and there are no exceptions.

Scurry doesn't agree with that.

"Now, if it was by accident, I would be more understanding, but this was like premeditated," Scurry said.

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