Kiski Township woman accused of burning 1-year-old's arm with cigarette
A Kiski Township woman is accused of burning a 1-year-old girl’s arm with a cigarette, according to Kiski Township police.
Police on Tuesday charged Lisa Marie Culp, 46, with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and simple assault. She was released on a $15,000 unsecured bond.
Police say the incident happened on April 22, the same day that the girl’s mother reported it to police, according to a criminal complaint against Culp.
The mother, whose name was not released, placed the child in Culp’s care while she was sleeping. She told police she later noticed her daughter’s pajama top was burned on the left arm. She first saw a small burn on the girl’s left arm, and later noticed how bad the burns were.
The mother told police she confronted Culp, who allegedly denied knowing anything about it. The child’s father convinced the mother to go to police.
An officer examined the girl and said he saw four burn marks that were blistering on her left bicep. The child was taken to ACMH Hospital in East Franklin, where a doctor said the child suffered first-degree cigarette burns.
Police arrested Culp on April 23 upon executing a search warrant at her home, where they found the child’s pajama top, which had a hole on the left arm that appeared to be singed around the edges.
Police said Culp agreed to speak with them. At first, she denied having done anything wrong.
Culp allegedly told police she believed she had fallen asleep while smoking a cigarette. She claimed to have realized something was burning on her shirt and that ash must have fallen on her. She noticed the girl was in bed next to her and saw a burn mark on her shirt, but did not see a burn to her skin.
She claimed the girl never woke up.
On April 24, a doctor who specializes in pediatric child abuse examined the girl, police said.
The doctor said that “the burns are consistent with a cigarette injury, and the physical separation of them makes it seem like more than one event.”
The doctor believes the injuries are highly suspicious of child abuse and would have caused substantial pain.
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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