A 19-month-old Pittsburgh girl suffered third-degree burns across roughly 40% of her body during bath time, and her father didn't get her to a hospital right away because he said he feared landing back in jail on an active warrant. Aubre McClendon now faces felony charges including aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the Oct. 25 incident.
What the Criminal Complaint Describes
According to a criminal complaint cited by WPXI, the incident happened at a home on Watson Boulevard in Pittsburgh on Oct. 25 between 2 and 3 p.m. McClendon told investigators he left the bathroom to get soap, and when he returned, his daughter had apparently turned the hot-water knob, causing the burns. The child sustained third-degree burns to approximately 40% of her body during the bath, per the complaint, and authorities say she also had a possible head injury.
McClendon was reportedly absent from the home when authorities later arrived. A witness told authorities that McClendon said the burns had happened the previous day during a bath, according to seed reporting from WTAE. Authorities were called to a home on Manheim Street on Oct. 26 for a baby with burns who was reportedly seizing and foaming at the mouth, and family members at the scene said the child was taken to UPMC Children's Hospital in critical condition with third-degree burns.
A Delay Driven by Fear of Arrest
McClendon told police he didn't take his daughter to the hospital because of an active warrant out for his arrest, the same WPXI report states. Instead, he took the child to her aunt's home before leaving to shoot a music video. The girl remained in her aunt's care until 911 was called Monday evening, the station reports. Court documents say McClendon was away from his aunt's home from the rest of that Sunday through most of the following Monday.
McClendon later told a caseworker he did not believe the burns were serious, and in an interview with agents he said he left his aunt's home so the child could be cared for until a plan could be figured out. He also said, per the criminal complaint, that he made repeated trips between the aunt's home and elsewhere to purchase first-aid items. Hospital staff said the child needed resuscitation upon arrival, and she was later transferred to Akron Children's Hospital for specialized treatment. McClendon called a Children, Youth and Families caseworker three days after the girl was taken to the hospital, authorities say.
The Charges He Faces
McClendon faces charges of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, and recklessly endangering another person. Under Pennsylvania's Title 18 Section 2702, aggravated assault covers an adult who attempts to cause, or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes, bodily injury to a child younger than six, and that particular subsection is graded as a second-degree felony. The statute's language describes the elements of the crime; it does not determine whether the allegations in this case are true.
Pennsylvania's child-endangerment law, outlined in Title 18 Section 4304, makes it an offense for a parent, guardian, or other person supervising a child under 18 to knowingly endanger that child by violating a duty of care, protection, or support. The offense is graded as a third-degree felony when the conduct creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury, and the grading increases by one level when the child is under six.
A Similar Case in Ohio
The case echoes a 2025 incident in Akron, where babysitter Kimberly Richmond, 52, faced two counts of child endangering after a 1-year-old girl suffered third-degree burns while in her care, according to Cleveland 19. In that case, the child's mother said she noticed burns on the girl's face when she picked her up around 5 p.m. on April 26, and police said Richmond allegedly failed to report the incident or get the child any medical attention.
