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Tot 'punished' by scalding dies untreated

After the 3-year-old's mother inflicted the burns, his grandmother applied ointment and sought no medical aid for a week, officials say.

DEERFIELD BEACH - A 3-year-old boy died after apparently suffering for a week from burns received when his mother held him in a tub of scalding water as punishment on Christmas Day, authorities said.

Broward County sheriff's deputies found Jaquez Mason with burns over 50 percent of his body after getting a 911 call Sunday morning. He was pronounced dead a half hour later.

It was unclear why the boy was punished, spokesman Jim Leljedal said Monday.

His mother, Valerie Kennedy, 30, who had lost custody of Jaquez for previous abuse, was charged with child abuse murder and jailed without bail. His grandmother, Annie Williams, 51, was accused of not getting him professional medical treatment. She was charged with manslaughter and was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Deputies said a court had put Jaquez in Williams' custody because of Kennedy's previous abuse. Despite that, Williams allowed the boy to spend Christmas with his mother, officials said. Kennedy took the boy to her home in Coral Springs.

That evening, Kennedy told Williams that Jaquez got burned, officials said. Williams took her grandson back to her Deerfield Beach home and applied powder and ointment to his severe burns.

Both women gave statements to homicide detectives, admitting their involvement in the crimes, officials said.

A man who answered the phone at the grandmother's house refused to say anything about the case.

[Last modified January 3, 2006, 01:57:16]