An Indiana man heated a necklace on a space heater and used the scorching metal to 'brand' three children, including one as young as 8 years old, after they said they wanted tattoos, according to police.
The children were taken to the hospital and one of them had third-degree burns. The mother of two of the three victims said her children have been scarred for life.
Jason Michael Mangas, 28, of Union City, Ind., was caring for his four children and a family friend during the weekend of Jan. 19 and 20 when he allegedly burned and scarred three of them, authorities said.
One victim, the suspect's 8-year-old daughter, told investigators that she had mentioned to her father she wanted a tattoo. After heating a necklace on a space heater, he placed it on the girl's arm, burning an imprint of the necklace's medallion into her flesh.
Police say the girl had a 3-inch by 5-inch burn on one arm. According to investigators, the suspect also helped one of the girl's brothers and his friend to burn tattoos onto their bodies using the same method.
It was not clear how old those victims were or where on their bodies the 'tattoos' had been made.
Mangas is being held in the Randolph County jail on $100,000 bond and is facing felony charges of three counts of neglect of a dependent. The trial is set for June 3.
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TXT 24
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