July 27--Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested a 23-year-old woman who they say failed to take her 2-year-old daughter to a hospital after her bed had caught fire and she suffered second-degree burns on her legs, thighs and feet.
Caniece Worthy, 23, of suburban Greenacres was arrested just after 4:30 a.m. Wednesday on child neglect charges, according to a sheriff's office report. She remained at the Palm Beach County Jail on Friday in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Worthy was asleep Sunday morning when her 4-year-old daughter woke her to say she had started a fire on her 2-year-old sister's bed with a lighter she had found, the report said. Worthy got up and took the girls out of the residence while her boyfriend put the fire out.
Worthy told police she thought about calling 911, but decided not to because she didn't have transportation to the hospital. She said she knew about the burns and added that her daughter said she was OK.
Two days after the fire, Worthy's sister took the girl to her father's house in Riviera Beach. He noticed the burns and took her to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
A hospital nurse told deputies about the burns. After their investigation, deputies arrested Worthy and booked her into jail just after 6 a.m. Wednesday.
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