A 31-year-old Michigan woman is facing a serious felony charge after authorities say she poured a pot of boiling water onto a 15-year-old girl during a chaotic parking lot fight involving dozens of people.
Shanell Lakeisha Cohen, of Pontiac, was arrested this week and charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation.
The charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years if she is convicted.
The incident happened around 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 near Leonard Lane in Pontiac, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the area after receiving multiple reports about a large fight.
When authorities arrived, they estimated that between 50 and 100 people had gathered in the parking lot.
Investigators say Cohen and the 15-year-old girl initially got into a verbal confrontation that escalated into a physical fight.
But authorities allege the situation did not end there.
After that first altercation was over, investigators say Cohen went inside her home and removed a pot of boiling water from the stove.
She then allegedly returned outside while the teenager was involved in a separate fight with other people.
According to investigators, Cohen approached the girl from behind and poured the boiling water onto her back.
The teenager suffered severe burns.
She was initially taken by ambulance to McLaren Oakland Hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit because of the seriousness of her injuries.
Authorities said she suffered third-degree burns to her neck and most of her back and remained hospitalized following the attack.
Three days later, on Oct. 1, Cohen went to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Pontiac substation for an interview with detectives.
Investigators say Cohen admitted during that interview that she poured the hot water onto the teenager.
She was then arrested and booked into the Oakland County Jail.
Cohen appeared in court for her arraignment Thursday.
A judge set her bond at $75,000 cash or surety with a 10% provision.
She is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 13 for a probable cause conference.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said the case was another example of what can happen when an argument escalates into violence.
Authorities have not publicly released the teenager’s name because she is a minor.
They also have not said what originally sparked the argument between Cohen and the girl or why such a large crowd had gathered in the parking lot before deputies arrived.
