As parents, it’s the hardest thing in the world to leave our children with a stranger and trust that the person we leave them with will take good care of them. Particularly a vulnerable baby. A Maryland mother recently had to face this harsh reality when she discovered that her six-month-old baby had been abused by a babysitter.
The woman, whose name is not known, dropped her little girl off with Ismelda Ramos Mendoza, 36, and returned three hours later, according to court documents filed in Prince George County, Maryland. The next day, the mother noticed that there were huge blisters on the bottom of her baby’s feet.
When questioned by police investigators, Mendoza initially said that the baby bumped into a tortilla had had been taken from a nearby hot pan. However, she later admitted that she:
“[Mendoza] became frustrated with (the baby) crying too much, became so upset she placed (the baby’s) feet on the pan she was cooking the tortilla on, causing the burns.”
Mendoza is now facing child abuse charges and has been jailed.
The baby is at Children’s National Medical Center, where she is being treated for 2nd-degree burns.
It’s hard to understand how people do this kind of thing to children. At this point, all we can do is hope for a solid recovery for this innocent little girl.