A mother has been charged with child cruelty after allegedly putting her two-year-old daughter in a hot oven.
Police were called to the home of Tasha Shontell Hatcher in Glen Rose, Texas, where a toddler was reported to have suffered burns.
Somervell Country Sherriff’s Office said witnesses informed officers on arrival that the 35-year-old had told them she put her daughter in the oven.
The girl was taken to a nearby hospital before being flown by air ambulance to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. She had suffered second and third-degree burns.
Hatcher's neighbour Arutro Villa told WFAA8: "They always seemed playful together."
But he said that on the day in question, as he mowed his lawn, he noticed loud music and Hatcher acting strangely, making gestures and signs.
"It was unusual," he added.
Hatcher was charged with injury to a child with serious bodily injury and arraigned on Saturday. Bond was set at $300,000.
Marissa Gonzales, a spokesperson for Texas Child Protective Services confirmed the child was in hospital and under their care.
She is due to be placed in foster care upon being discharged.
