Louisiana parents charged after baby burned with cigarettes, shot in hand

SHREVEPORT, La. (WGNO) -- The parents of an 18-month-old who was shot Sunday afternoon appeared by video in Caddo District Court Tuesday.

Cambria Lewis, 26, the child's mother, and his father, 40-year-old Arthur Watkins, were arrested late Sunday afternoon after they took their son to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the hand.

Shreveport Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 100 block of East Herndon Street around 2 p.m. Sunday. Officers found a great deal of blood, but did not find a victim at the scene.

Shortly thereafter, police received a call from Willis-Knighton Medical Center informing them a young child around 2 years old with a gunshot wound to the hand and his mother had been dropped off.

According to Lewis' arrest affidavit, in addition to the gunshot wound, hospital personnel found the child had several cigarette burns across his body, had not been bathed in days, had matted hair and was wearing a diaper three sizes too small for his body.

Shreveport Police patrol officers located Watkins' vehicle; Watkins tried to flee, but officers were able to apprehend him and take him into custody.

Shreveport police arrested Lewis and charged her with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile. Watkins is charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and flight from an officer.

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