What started as a welfare check in Burnsville ended with both parents in jail, a 2-year-old in protective custody, and prosecutors staring at what they say is a massive digital paper trail of abuse. After officers and medical staff documented stitches on the boy’s forehead and extensive bruising on his back, stomach, sides, arms, legs, and face, the child was placed on a 72-hour health-and-welfare hold. County prosecutors have charged the mother with multiple felony counts including child torture and assault, and the father with child endangerment. Both remain behind bars.
Prosecutors lay out a pattern
According to a news release from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, 27-year-old Karina Maria Burns is charged with two counts of child torture, six counts of third-degree assault involving a victim under four, and one count of harassment. Her partner, 27-year-old Colt Jonathan McNeese, faces two counts of child endangerment causing substantial harm.
Investigators say they obtained a search warrant for the couple’s phones and pulled more than 100,000 texts, photos and videos between the two. Prosecutors allege those messages show Burns repeatedly shaking, striking, punching and threatening the child. “What this child endured is unimaginable,” County Attorney Kathy Keena said in the release.
Digital trail and timeline
Authorities say the message logs captured at least 11 instances between May 2024 and April 2025 in which Burns texted about physically harming the boy, and at least 69 dates between May 2025 and June 4, 2026, when she said she had assaulted him, often attaching photos or video as proof.
As reported by the Tampa Free Press, the messages allegedly show Burns sending McNeese images of the child crying and visibly upset when McNeese did not respond while he was at work.
Welfare check, injuries and medical findings
Burnsville police say a caller who had seen photos of the child contacted authorities, which led officers to conduct a welfare check on June 4. When police arrived, they reported seeing the toddler with a stitched forehead and widespread bruising on several areas of his body. Medical staff later concluded the injuries were not consistent with the normal bumps and bruises expected for a toddler.
The child was taken to a hospital for a more thorough evaluation and placed on a 72-hour hold while Child Protection reviewed the case, according to the county release.
Arrests, bail and next court dates
Both parents are being held at the Dakota County Jail. Judge David N. Lutz set conditional bail at $500,000 for Burns and $140,000 for McNeese. In initial interviews, both denied injuring the child, although McNeese admitted they had “lightly spanked him,” according to reporting.
Burns is scheduled to appear in court on July 15 at 9 a.m., and McNeese is due in court on Aug. 5 at 9 a.m., according to the Tampa Free Press.
Legal context
Per the Office of the Revisor of Statutes, child torture is defined in Minn. Stat. §609.3775 as a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Third-degree assault and child-endangerment offenses are outlined elsewhere in Chapter 609, with penalties that vary based on the level of harm alleged.
The charges now filed are allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
