NC mother charged with burning her daughter

FAYETTEVILLE — Investigators have arrested a North Carolina mother they say repeatedly burned her daughter with an iron.

Authorities said Monday they have charged 33-year-old Nia Michelle Brooks of Fayetteville with aggravated assault on a handicapped person, felony child abuse and assault inflicting
serious injury.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said Brooks burned her daughter with an iron on both her arms, her left thigh and her right leg. The 11-year-old child told investigators that she was burned because she wasn’t ironing her Easter dress the way her mother wanted.

A teacher reported the injuries after noticing scars. Investigators say the girl is mildly retarded, has no vision in her right eye and only a 30 percent field of vision in her left eye.

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