PONTIAC, Mich. — A 15-year-old girl is in the hospital with third-degree burns after authorities say a 31-year-old Pontiac woman poured boiling water on her during a massive brawl in the parking lot area of Arborview Village in Pontiac.
Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the area of Leonard Lane at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, for a report of a large group of people fighting. When deputies arrived, they say they encountered over 50 people gathered in the parking lot.
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The investigation determined that the 15-year-old girl and Shanell Lakeisha Cohen, 31, of Pontiac, initially became involved in a physical altercation. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office authorized one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation against Cohen. Cohen was arraigned Thursday, Oct. 1, before Magistrate Thomas-Scruggs in 50th District Court.
Lasheron Gray, the mother of the teen, described what she says happened.
"They were fighting, I guess she felt that a 15-year-old was beating her up and she went in the house and got boiling water and came out and threw it at my daughter," Gray said.
After the initial altercation ended, investigators say Cohen went inside her residence and removed a pot of boiling water from the stove. Cohen then returned outside, where the teenager was involved in a separate physical altercation with other individuals. Detectives determined Cohen approached the teenager during that altercation and poured the pot of hot water onto her back.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said this type of situation is becoming more common.
"Unfortunately, we're seeing this in more situations, not just in Pontiac, but all across the state and across the country where there's groups of people, they get together, someone has a disagreement, it begins to escalate, part of the crowd gets involved, it gets more physical, and then somebody pulls out a weapon," Bouchard said.
In this case, the sheriff says that weapon was a boiling pot of water.
"She left, obviously she was removed from the situation and then made the decision, I'm going back and worse I'm going back with scalding water," Bouchard said.
Gray said the burns are not only physically painful but have taken an emotional toll.
"She's not doing good at all, she'll require extensive medical care, she's still currently in the hospital, she's been in there since Sunday night," Gray said.
The teenager suffered third-degree extensive burns to her neck and the majority of her back. Cohen came to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Pontiac Substation on Thursday, Oct. 1, and was interviewed by detectives. During the interview, Cohen admitted to pouring the hot water on the teenager. She was arrested and transported to the Oakland County Jail without incident.
Bond was set at $75,000 cash or surety, 10%. The judge also noted Cohen has numerous outstanding warrants in Oakland County.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13.
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