On Sunday, Wisconsin mom Lisa Simmons called the police to her Milwaukee home after finding her 2-year-old daughter unresponsive with “stiff legs.”
But police didn’t attempt to save the child when they arrived because they quickly determined little Zayanna was already dead, Fox 6 reports.
Investigators noted that the toddler had “severe burns” on the lower half of her body.
When Simmons, 41, was questioned about the injuries, she claimed that the child’s “skin began to peel off” after she put a diaper on her that must have contained chemicals from a “bug bomb.”
But after authorities pointed out inconsistencies with her story and the burn marks, the mom admitted that she had burned Zayanna in the tub.
The mom said the incident occurred on September 20, days before she called the police.
According to the criminal complaint, Simmons admitted to holding the toddler in hot water, causing her to scream.
She later noticed that the 2-year-old’s skin had started to blister and peel but did not get medical help because she “didn’t want CPS to take her children.”
Zayanna’s condition worsened over several days until she passed away.
CPS had just returned the toddler to the mother in May after she was taken away for unknown reasons.
A caseworker visited the home on September 19, just days before Zayanna was found dead.
Investigators believe the child had to be held in the hot water for at least 10 minutes for the burns to occur. The cause of death was ruled to be from complications related to thermal burn injuries.
The 41-year-old mom has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and child neglect resulting in death, La Crosse Tribune reports.
Simmons has two more children. It’s unclear if they’ve been taken into protective custody.