Mother charged in scalding death

A Milwaukee woman was charged Wednesday in the scalding death of her 2-year-old daughter, who was recently returned to her by the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services, according to a criminal complaint.

Lisa M. Simmons, 41, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide and child neglect resulting in death, according to the complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

According to the complaint:

Fire department paramedics found Zayanna Simmons dead Sunday after her mother called 911 to report that the toddler was not breathing, her legs were stiff and she was turning blue.

An autopsy concluded Zayanna died from complications of thermal burn injuries.

After investigators discovered severe burns to the child’s buttocks, lower back and upper back thighs, Simmons provided several conflicting accounts of how the injuries occurred.

Police also found what they believed to be a blood-stained bed sheet in the bedroom where Simmons said she was sleeping with Zayanna.

They also found a bag containing soiled diapers, one of which was bloody.

Simmons finally admitted placing the girl in a bathtub with hot water that was chest-high to the girl, but pulling her out when she realized it was too hot.

Investigators, however, determined that the child would have to have been held in the water for a much longer time to have suffered burns so severe.

Simmons told investigators she first noticed the burns on Thursday but was afraid to take her to the hospital because she had an open case with the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services.

Zayanna was returned to her mother by the agency in May, and her mother said she did not want the agency to take the girl and her infant twins, according to the complaint.