Highland Park Parents Charged With Abuse After Treating Child's 3rd Degree Burns With Vaseline

HIGHLAND PARK (WWJ) - A Highland Park couple is facing felony charges after they allegedly did not seek proper care for their young daughter's serious burns.

According to police, the 5-year-old girl was playing with a cigarette lighter at her family's on Puritan last Friday when she set her sweater on fire.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says instead of taking the child for the appropriate medical treatment, the parents —  36-year-old Lenard Smith and 31-year-old Evette Walker — applied Vaseline and toilet paper to their daughter's wounds.

A few days later, Highland Park police were dispatched to the home. They took the girl to a local hospital where she was treated for infection and third degree burns on her on her chest, arms and back, prosecutors said.

Smith and Walker were arraigned in 30th District Court Wednesday with second degree child abuse.

Bond was set at $150,000 cash or surety for Smith and $100,000 cash or surety for Walker. Both defendants have been ordered to have no contact with children or anyone under the age of 17 if released.

The couple will be back in court for a probable cause conference on Tuesday, Dec. 20. They each face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.