Mom comes home to find toddler severely burned, OH cops say. Babysitter charged

After a mother dropped off her 1-year-old daughter at a babysitter, she came home to find her child had severe burns across her body, Ohio authorities say.

The babysitter, 52-year-old Kimberly Richmond, now faces two child endangerment charges, according to the Akron Police Department. She turned herself in April 29.

“She just burnt my baby’s face. Her whole face is burnt,” a woman is heard saying in a 911 call April 26 obtained by McClatchy News. “Nobody is telling us what’s going on.”

Breanna Peterson told WEWS she left her daughter with Richmond, a family friend, for three days. When she returned, she discovered her child had burns to “her face, arms, chest and backside.”

An investigation revealed the baby was given a bath and was scolded by the hot water, police said. She was taken to a hospital after the mother’s arrival, and doctors said she had suffered second and third-degree burns.

“They said if I didn’t bring her in when I did, she could have died, literally,” Peterson told WEWS.

It’s unclear when the toddler was burned, but police said Richmond “failed to report the incident and did not seek medical attention for the child.”

Richmond is now being held in the Summit County Jail, police said.

Peterson said her daughter will likely be in the hospital for at least a few more days, with a procedure scheduled for May 2.

This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Mom comes home to find toddler severely burned, OH cops say. Babysitter charged."