4-year-old dies after stepmom puts legs in hot water as 'punishment'

The boy was sent to bed early and was found dead the next morning

A four-year-old boy died in Ohio after his stepmother allegedly put his legs in scalding hot water as a form of punishment.

Anna Ritchie, 25, put Austin Derreck Cooper’s legs in extremely hot water in a bathtub before sending him to bed at their home in Franklin, Ohio, police said.

According to Franklin police, Ritchie admitted to 'punishing' the child, putting him in a tub of hot water which caused his legs to burn. He was then put to bed and found dead the next morning.



The four-year-old was rushed to Atrium Hospital after police responded to a call when the child was found unresponsive. Cooper was pronounced dead upon his arrival at the hospital and his death was ruled as homicide.

“There’s nothing a four-year-old could do to deserve a punishment like this,” said Franklin Police chief Russ Whitman.

“Our officers, our detectives and myself, we all have kids and some of us have grandkids now. Our hearts and prayers go out to the child’s family. Nobody should have to go through something like this,” he added.



Investigators said after the young boy was sent to bed, no one checked him overnight until he was discovered not breathing the next day. Although police said the child's father was in the apartment at the time, investigators are yet to ascertain whether he was involved in the heinous act.

Neighbours and locals have been left horrified by the incident.

“It’s heartbreaking. I can’t believe that baby lost its life. It’s just disturbing how somebody could actually hurt a four-year-old like that, let alone any child and to just do it and be okay while they’re doing it; and to know that baby is just screaming for help and there was nobody there to help him,” a neighbour said.



Since the incident, Ritchie has been charged with endangering a child’s life and is being held in Warren County jail on a $100,000 bond. With the homicide ruling, additional charges are likely, and her bond was raised to $350,000.

This article originally appeared on Hindustan Times.