Haltom City grandmother accused in scalding death of young grandson

A search is underway for the grandmother of 2-year-old Lyfe Flores, who died April 4 after he was scalded in bath water, Haltom City police said Wednesday.

The boy wasn’t taken to get medical help for six days after the scalding, authorities said.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Patricia Flores, 43, of Haltom City, who authorities believe is in San Antonio.

“We don’t know when she left the city,” Haltom City police Cpl. Ray Beshirs said.

No ruling has been issued by the Dallas County medical examiner’s office on Lyfe’s death, but authorities believe he died as a result of scalding.

“It was six days before she sought treatment for him,” Beshirs said.

The warrant charges Patricia Flores with injury to a child serious bodily/omission.

“I don’t care what the charges are,” said Kim Hamilton of Cleburne, Lyfe’s other grandmother, on Wednesday. “I just want her punished.”

Kim Hamilton said she last saw her grandson on his birthday, March 1.

“We tried three to four times the rest of that month trying to see him, but she always had excuses,” Hamilton said Wednesday.

Flores, the child’s legal guardian, told Haltom City police that Lyfe was injured early March 24 when he was left alone in the bathroom with hot water running in the tub.

His grandmother waited until he became unresponsive on March 30 before seeking medical treatment, Haltom City Detective Matt Spillane said in a Wednesday news release.

“The lack of medical treatment for the severe burns led to an infection, which may have contributed to his death,” Spillane said.

Lyfe had been in the care of his grandmother in the last few days of March.

Haltom City police and paramedics responded about 11:40 p.m. to the 2100 block of Haltom Road on March 31 on an injury to a child call.

The toddler was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, and then moved to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Beshirs said the boy was “obviously injured.”

Lyfe died April 4 at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

Officials with state Child Protective Services and Haltom City police began an investigation soon after that. CPS officials received a report of the death and the toddler’s sibling, a 5-month-old girl, was placed in foster care.

Marissa Gonzales of CPS has said the agency had contact with the child and his family before his death, but she provided no details.

Lyfe’s funeral was held Sunday in Cleburne, and his funeral procession to the Grange Hall Cemetery in Rio Vista included the Burleson Fire Department and other local fire departments.

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Haltom City grandmother accused in scalding death of young grandson."