From staff reports

VINCENT – An 8-year-old Vincent girl remained in a Columbus hospital Monday after receiving first- and second-degree burns to her body when boiling water was poured on her to wake her up.

The girl’s stepfather, Jimmy Lewis Miller Jr., 27, of 55 Spring Ave., Vincent, was taken into custody Saturday after detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to the emergency room at Marietta Memorial Hospital in Belpre. He was charged with endangering children, a felony of the third degree.

Lt. Bryan Lockhart of the sheriff’s office said they got the call from the hospital around 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

The girl reportedly told doctors her stepfather poured water on her while she was asleep on Friday night. Detectives went to the girl’s home and spoke at length with Miller about the incident. Reports show Miller told detectives he had his 4-year-old son throw water on her to wake her up, which Miller said was a common practice with the family members.

Instead of getting cold water, the boy apparently grabbed boiling water from an unattended pot on the stove, he said. Miller had made noodles and after draining them, forgot to turn the stove off, he told detectives.

According to the sheriff’s office, Miller said the reason why the girl was being awakened was so she could get him a remote control that was approximately four feet from him because he didn’t want to get off of the couch.

Sheriff’s reports state Miller didn’t realize his son had gotten water from the pot. When the water hit her, she began screaming that it was hot and tried to remove her clothes.

Miller reportedly told detectives he took her clothes off and put her in a cold shower. After the shower, he said he put lotion on the burns.

“What we believe happened, because it’s an ongoing investigation at this point, we’re confident Jimmy Miller was the only parent at the residence and at some point in time, he directed another juvenile child, at least that’s his own statement, to pour water on the juvenile victim to wake her up,” Lockhart explained Monday morning.

When the girl’s mother, Cheyenne Miller, came home from work and saw the burns, she rushed the girl to the hospital. Doctors told Cheyenne the water had to have been at least 120 degrees.

Doctors reportedly told the mother they estimated 20 to 25 percent of the girl’s body was burned, and she had to be put on a direct line of fentanyl to manage her pain. She was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus for further treatment.

As of Monday morning, the girl was still in the hospital and Lockhart said he was unsure of when she might be able to go home.

Detectives said Miller allegedly told them several versions of the incident before settling on the one where the boy threw the water on her.

Reports state Miller admitted to making poor decisions during the event. He was taken into custody and transported to the Washington County Jail.

Lockhart said bond was set at $20,000.

“We’re still conducting interviews and follow-up investigations to find out how the water was that hot, and if that is, in fact, true, or we’re trying to decide if he is the one who, in fact, poured the water,” Lockhart explained. “It’s still kind of very open.”