Mason woman sentenced to prison for scalding 2-year-old
Warren County Prosecutor David P. Fornshell announced recently that Lashawnda Walters, 51, of Mason was sentenced to an indefinite term in prison of seven to 10 and a half years by Judge Robert Peeler.
Walters previously entered a guilty plea to endangering children (F2) and tampering with evidence (F3). The offenses occurred on March 30, 2023.
On the morning of March 30, 2023, the 2-year-old had an accident and soiled a diaper. In response to the accident, Walters assaulted the victim and placed the victim in a bath with water temperatures reaching up to 126 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result of being forced into the water, the victim suffered second and third degree burns to over 17 percent of the body, including feet, calves, thighs, buttocks and genitals.
More than five hours passed before the victim was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital – Liberty Campus, where the child was examined and then transported to Shriners Children’s Ohio in Cincinnati, undergoing numerous procedures and ultimately requiring a surgical skin graft to replace the damaged skin.
Inside Walters’ home were surveillance cameras that captured the events leading up to this incident. While the police were executing a search warrant at Walters’ home, Walters was actively deleting videos from earlier in the day in an effort to prevent law enforcement from obtaining video evidence regarding her actions.
“My heart goes out not only to this [child], but to everyone involved in this case who had to view the photographs of the horrific injuries Walters caused to that precious child,” said Fornshell.
Fornshell commended Detective Casey Behymer from the Mason Police Department, Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Steve Knippen and Julie Kraft, Victim Witness Coordinator Erika Bourelle, and Director of Technology Jaclyn Zaczek and Deputy Office Administrator Mackenzie Stotts for their work on the case.
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