Dunn Mother Charged with Assault After Throwing Scalding Liquid on Teens, Hospitalizing Two

DUNN, NC – Two teenagers from Dunn are recovering after an alleged assault involving scalding liquid. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon (Oct 20) at an apartment complex on Ponderosa Drive, where an argument reportedly escalated, leading to serious injuries for both teens.

Larry McDougald, the uncle of a 15-year-old boy involved, recounted that he was inside watching football when he heard a commotion outside. By the time he returned to check on the situation, he found his nephew screaming in pain from severe burns across his chest. “This turned into something I have never seen before in my life,” he said.

The argument reportedly involved a dispute over a phone and intensified as multiple people gathered, with some throwing objects through windows. Dunn police stated that someone threw hot liquid on the teens, which was believed to be a mixture of boiling water and bleach. While the 15-year-old boy was released from the hospital, a 14-year-old girl remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

On Thursday, the Dunn Police Department issued arrest warrants for Kendra Lafaye McDougald, the mother of one of the victims. She faces charges of two counts of felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury, two counts of assault by throwing acid or alkali, and one count of felony child abuse.

Reflecting on the incident, Larry McDougald emphasized the importance of de-escalation, stating, “We need to pass things up and let them go before it escalates any worse… I don’t want nobody hurt, period.”

This article first appeared in WRAL.