Background: The apartment complex in Memphis, Tenn., where authorities say the attack occurred (Google Maps). Inset: Tyjuan Hassell (Shelby County Sheriff's Office).
A man in Tennessee is accused of hurling boiling water onto a teen's face as the victim slept inside an apartment, giving him third-degree burns.
Tyjuan Hassell, 22, has been charged with aggravated assault in connection with the incident, Shelby County court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail on $100,000 bond.
On Sept. 2, Hassell was inside an apartment on Foote Lane in Memphis, which is not far from the city's downtown area. A 14-year-old boy was inside the same residence, next door to where the teen's grandmother lived.
According to an affidavit of complaint, the boy told his grandmother he was "hanging out" at the other apartment when he fell asleep on a couch. As he slept, "Zach" — as the boy referred to him — "threw boiling hot water on his face."
The boy ran to his grandmother's apartment, and authorities were called. Officers with the Memphis Police Department responded, and the grandmother told them that her grandson had said "he was attacked" by a man next door.
The boy gave officers a description "of the person responsible" and reportedly later identified Hassell as the alleged culprit. The court document does not state a possible motive.
Firefighters with the Memphis Fire Department arrived and they treated the teen for third-degree burns. He was then brought to a nearby children's hospital, "where he was listed in critical condition," the affidavit states. His current condition is unclear.
Hassell was arrested and booked into jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday and then to appear in court again on Monday.
Comments