Boiling Water in Tub Leads to Child Neglect Charge in Vernon

VERNON, CT — An incident over boiling water left in a bathtub has led to child neglect charges against a 25-year-old Vernon resident, an arrest warrant indicates.

The mother of the child, Victoria Brocuglio, who lives in an apartment complex off Regan Street, was charged with risk of injury to a child and making as false statement, police said.

Vernon police began investigating her after receiving a report from the state Department of Children and Families about a "severe neglect" case involving a 14-month-old with second-and third-degree burns on the arms. The child first went to Rockville General Hospital, then Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, then Shriner's Hospital in Boston, according to a warrant.

The child will need long-term burn care, according to a warrant.

The child was burned when she put her arms in boiling water left in a tub when she was unsupervised, according to a warrant. Stories offered during police interrogation fluctuated between cleaning the tub with the boiling water after hair dyeing to needing it in the bathtub because the hot water tends to run out in the apartment.

In either scenario, investigators determined Brocuglio did put the boiling water in the tub and the child did stick her arms in the water when left unsupervised, according to a warrant.

Photo Credit: VPD