OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City parents were arrested after her 9-month-old was admitted to the PICU for severe burns.
Duke Spencer was taking care of Taniqua Mason’s two children while she was at work.
When Mason was walking home, Spencer met up with her outside the apartment and told her the infant had been burned.
He said her toddler had knock over a pot of hot water and it burned the baby crawling on the floor.
Mason said her instinct was to call 911, but Spencer told her not to because the burns could be treated at home.
Unfortunately, she says, she trusted him.
Later in the evening, the child seemed to have a seizure.
Spencer still insisted the infant was fine, but Mason decided to call 911.
EMSA took the 9-month-old to the Baptist pediatric ICU.
The medical staff determined there were no burns from splashed water, instead the edges of the burns indicated the infant’s feet were dipped into hot liquid.
Spencer called the mother and told her to lie to police about who was watching the kids.
He already had a warrant for child abuse from January for breaking 13 bones, including a skull fracture, in the baby’s body.
Mason says Spencer has always favored their older child and he has questioned if the baby is his biological child.
DHS records show she was told to keep the kids away from him and to file for sole custody.
Mason says she let him back in their lives because it seemed he had changed.
Spencer was arrested on 6 counts of child abuse. Mason was arrested on child endangerment and enabling child abuse.
