Missouri Couple Accused of Putting Child in Microwave

A couple in Missouri has been charged with felony abuse or neglect of a child after allegedly putting their 4-month-old son in the microwave and turning it on.

Derick and Mikala Boyce-Slezak, both 22, are accused of abusing the infant while attempting to imitate a TV commercial. They allegedly dropped the baby before placing him in the microwave and turning it on, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The injuries were discovered in April when the four-month-old was taken to the Cardinal-Glennon Hospital Emergency Room for a rash on his face. Doctors quickly discovered that the rash was actually first and second degree burns. Further evaluation discovered that the infant was also suffering from a skull fracture and a subdural hematoma, a head injury that causes the brain to swell.

The couple initially claimed that the burns were caused by a cleaning agent, and Mikala Boyce-Slezak pleaded the Fifth Amendment in a hearing on Monday when she was asked about the other injuries.

However, an employee with the Children's Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services testified that the infant's mother had previously stated that she had intended to testify that the head wounds resulted from the child's father dropping the baby while trying to imitate a commercial. The employee also stated that the mother had claimed she had reason to believe Derick Boyce-Slezack had placed the infant in the microwave.

The couple is being held at the St. Francois County Jail on $500,000 bail each.