Mother, Grandmother Held in Scalding Death

A 3-year-old boy died after his mother held him in a tub of scalding water as punishment on Christmas Day, and his grandmother, who had custody, failed to get medical care for him for a week, authorities said in Deerfield Beach. The mother had lost custody of the boy because of prior abuse.

Broward County sheriff’s deputies found Jaquez Mason with burns over 50% of his body after getting a 911 call. He was pronounced dead half an hour after they arrived.

His mother, Valerie Kennedy, 30, was charged with murder and jailed without bond. His grandmother, Annie Williams, 51, was charged with manslaughter and was being held on $10,000 bond.