PONTIAC (WWJ) -- A 31-year-old woman is accused of pouring a pot of boiling water over a 15-year-old girl during a brawl on Sunday, leaving the teenager hospitalized with third-degree burns.
Shanell Lakeisha Cohen was arraigned Thursday on a felony charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at around 7 p.m. Sept. 28 to Leonard Lane, where a crowd of up to 100 people had gathered in a parking lot.
Investigators said Cohen and the teen initially got into a physical fight. After it ended, Cohen went inside her home to grab boiling water from the stove. She returned outside and doused the 15-year-old’s back while the girl was caught up in a separate fight with other people.
The victim was rushed to McLaren Oakland Hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
She remained hospitalized on Thursday with severe burns covering her neck and most of her back.
“We have another sad example of a verbal dispute, escalating into dangerous physical violence,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “Individuals that do so will be held to account.”
The OCSO said Cohen allegedly confessed to the attack during an interview at the sheriff’s substation on Thursday, and was taken into custody without incident.
A 50th District Court magistrate set Cohen's bond at $75,000 (10%). Her next court appearance is a probable cause conference set for Oct. 13.
