Affidavit: Mom was high when child put in oven
GLEN ROSE, Texas — A mother, accused of placing her toddler in an oven, demonstrated erratic and sexual behavior after the incident, reports show.
Tasha Hatcher, 35, was arrested March 17, when police were called to her Glen Rose, Texas, home where a 2-year-old was said to have been burned.
The toddler suffered second- and third-degree burns.
Glen Rose is in Somervell County, which is about 53 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
According to a Child Protective Services petition to remove the child from the mother's custody, Hatcher was under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, and possibly a synthetic drug, such as K2 or spice, the day she placed her nude toddler in the oven. Authorities say the child suffered burns to her back, torso, legs and buttocks.
In an affidavit, the deputy who responded the night of the injury said authorities were called by a neighbor who told them Hatcher appeared nude at their door with her daughter. The child also was nude and had apparent burn marks across her body.
Upon his arrival, the deputy said Hatcher made sexual references and "kept singing to God and giving praise to him." The deputy said the woman then masturbated in front of him, and claimed she shot a cat and then placed it, and then her child, into an oven.
Authorities haven't indicated a cat was ever found. However, authorities said they found hair in the oven that appeared to belong to the toddler.
The deputy said the burn marks on the child appeared to be in the pattern of an oven grate, and also reported that Hatcher mentioned the drug K2.
The toddler was transported to Parkland Hospital's burn unit.
Authorities said Hatcher was taken to an emergency room for a medical evaluation, where she continued to act out sexually.
A Child Protective Services worker who met with Hatcher the next day at the Somervell County (Texas) Jail said she continued to be incoherent. When asked about her actions the night before, Hatcher said, "curiosity killed the cat," the employee reported.
"Ask me questions and I will lie to you," she responded when asked what she meant.
According to documents, in 2008, Hatcher was involved in an Amber Alert when she allegedly kidnapped her other child, who is in the care of his father. She also has a criminal history that includes possession of marijuana, driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
An earlier allegation against her is that she left her son at a 24-hour day care for more than 31 hours. Day care employees told Child Protective Services workers that Hatcher appeared to be drunk when she would pick up her child from the center.
In the report regarding this recent incident, a Child Protective Services employee recommended the child stay in their custody because of the toddler's injuries and drug use by both parents of the toddler.
Follow Marjorie Owens on Twitter:@clumsyandshy