Pontiac woman accused of pouring boiling water on teen following altercation

A Pontiac woman is charged after she allegedly poured boiling water on a 15-year-old girl following a fight over the weekend.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Shanell Lakeisha Cohen, 31, was arraigned on Thursday on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation. Cohen received a $75,000 cash/surety bond (10%).

Deputies were called to the area of Leonard Lane at about 7 p.m. on Sept. 28, where they encountered 50 to 100 people in the parking lot. An investigation found that Cohen was involved in an altercation with the teen. The sheriff's office says that after the fight, Cohen allegedly went inside her home, grabbed a pot of boiling water from the stove and threw it on the teen, who was involved in a separate altercation.

Authorities say the teen suffered extensive burns and was taken to a hospital for treatment. She was later transported to another hospital due to the severity of her injuries. Deputies say she remains hospitalized with third-degree burns to her neck and back.

Investigators interviewed Cohen on Oct. 1, and she admitted to throwing the water on the teen.

"We have another sad example of a verbal dispute, escalating into dangerous physical violence. Individuals that do so will be held to account," Sheriff Mike Bouchard said in a statement.

Cohen is due back in court on Oct. 13.