Mother convicted of mayhem after girl, 2, burned in San Francisco
Jan 14, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A mother was convicted of mayhem on Tuesday after her 2-year-old daughter was severely burned in San Francisco and she didn't go to a hospital until weeks later, prosecutors said.
The toddler's mother, 29-year-old Reneisha Devore, allowed her daughter to suffer from burns covering 50 percent of her body, prosecutors said. Because the mother waited so long to seek medical help, the little girl is now permanently disfigured, prosecutors said.
"Ms. Devore, the victim’s mother, was aware of her daughter’s injuries and did nothing tohelp her," the San Francisco District Attorney's Office wrote. A jury convicted Devore following a trial.
Jurors also convicted the victim's babysitter, 42-year-old Diana Washington, of child endangerment for failing to help the toddler.
On July 25, 2023, the two-year-old girl was brought to UCSF Children’s Hospital Mission Bay while she was suffering from burns on half of her body. Doctors discovered that some of the burns were between 7-10 days old, while others were weeks old, investigators said.
While Devore neglected to take her daughter to a doctor, the victim's burns had converted from second to third degree, investigators said.
Assistant District Attorney Melissa Demetral said, "The conduct in this case was particularly deplorable and heinous not just because of the injuries, but because it was an act committed by a mother against her child. It is imperative we give a voice to the victim who -- given their age -- often cannot advocate for themselves."
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Investigators did not say how the victim was burned. She spent months at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital Bothin Burn Center undergoing multiple surgeries, debridement, and skin grafts, according to prosecutors.
Devore and Washington are both currently in custody. They will be sentenced on February 4.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said, "This case was horrific, and we pray for the victim’s continued healing and progress."