Nia Michelle Brooks of 113-D Vineland Drive, Fayetteville was arrested Saturday and taken to the Cumberland County Detention Center. She was being held on a $100,000 secured bond.
Investigators say Brooks burned her daughter with a hot iron on both her arms, the top left thigh, and on her right leg near the kneecap. The child told investigators it happened because she wasn’t ironing her Easter dress the way her mother wanted.
The 11-year old child is mildly mentally challenged, has no field of vision in her right eye, and only 30 percent field of vision in her left eye.
The girl's teacher said she wore a coat to school with temperatures in the 80 to 90 degree range to hide her injuries, but the scars were visible when she rolled up her sleeves to play outside.
The Cumberland County Department of Social Services was called in to investigate, and case was turned over to sheriff’s detectives. They've charged Brooks with maiming, aggravated assault on a handicapped person, felony child abuse, and assault inflicting serious injury.
Brooks was set to make a first court appearance Monday.
