Miguel Santiago Gonzalez, 28, received a life sentence on Thursday from 159th District Court Judge Todd Kassaw in Angelina County, Texas, for intentionally scalding a 20-month-old girl with 143°F bathwater in September 2022, causing immersion burns over half her body.
Incident Details
The victim’s mother’s boyfriend claimed he left the toddler unattended briefly while bathing her in lukewarm water, but experts ruled out accidental injury due to uniform burn patterns sparing the upper torso and lacking splash marks typical of struggling children. Police found no evidence of the child turning the faucet herself or crying out, consistent with deliberate abuse.
Legal Outcome
After a four-day bench trial in January 2026, Gonzalez was convicted of serious bodily injury to a child; despite defense pleas citing no prior record, DA Amy Wren highlighted the girl’s lifelong surgeries and pain. He faces 30 years before parole eligibility, with family relieved at the maximum penalty.
