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Police: Woman Burned Son With Cigarettes While Boyfriend Watched, Laughed

EAST PITTSBURGH (KDKA)- A woman and her boyfriend are facing charges for allegedly torturing her 2-year-old son.

Police say the incident happened back on Aug. 1 at Anna Russell's apartment in the 300 block of Dorothy Street in East Pittsburgh.

According to the criminal complaint, the Russell, 19, used a cigarette to burn her 2-year-old son.

On Aug. 8, the boy's grandmother took him to Children's Hospital because she was concerned about scabs from wounds all over his body.

The doctor at Children's Hospital found at least 15 discrete wounds across the toddler's face, chest, neck, back, left arm, left hand and on both legs.

The doctor said, "These wounds were administered deliberately, in a chronological order, over a very short period of time in one sitting."

He went on to say, "Whoever inflicted these wounds did so intentionally...If an independent and prudent third party had witnessed this event, they would believe the boy was being tortured. Each burn would represent an agonizingly painful event that the child was experiencing."

Russell and her 25-year-old boyfriend, Enrique Soto, were questioned in the case. Russell's 3-year-old daughter was also questioned.

She told police, "My mom burned my brother with cigarettes."

The little girl also added that Soto laughed the whole time.

Russell and Soto both face a long list of charges, including aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment.

Both children have been placed in foster care.

Russell is being held on $150,000 bond. Soto is being held on $250,000 bond. Both are in the Allegheny County Jail.

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