A Weslaco area mother is behind bars after she allegedly put her 2-year-old son's hand on a hot stove in an alleged act of child abuse.
Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Claudia Ponce on an injury to a child charge on Thursday.
The Weslaco mother faced a judge on Friday morning where she was issued a $500,000 dollar bond.
Investigators told Action 4 News that the incident happened back on March 11th but wasn't reported until Sunday.
Ponce told deputies that her 2-year-old son accidentally burned his hands on some hot soup she had prepared.
Deputies said that the burns were so bad that the boy was taken to a burn center in Galvestion.
The boy's older brother told deputies that his mother was mad at the boy and deliberately burned his hands on a hot stove.
Authorities identified Ponce as an illegal immigrant from Mexico who has a criminal history that includes prostitution.
Investigators said Child Protective Service have taken all of her children, who are all American citizens, into custody.
Deputies said the 2-year-old boy is out of the hospital and has been placed with a foster family that specializes in taking care of burn victims.
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