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Girl, 15, accused of murdering 4-year-old brother; Aunt also charged

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 15-year-old girl is accused of murdering her 4-year-old brother by putting him in a hot bathtub.

The children's aunt, Aleisha Harris, is also facing charges after police say she waited 24 hours to get medical care for 4-year-old Jamal.

Clayton County police said the teenage girl punished the boy for wetting himself by putting him in a tub of 155-degree water.

“The reason for it was stated to us that the child had urinated on himself,” Clayton County Police Maj. Joseph Woodall said.

Police said Jamal was burned on more than 40 percent of his body, suffered brain swelling and he had an 80-degree core temperature.

“This is one of the worst (cases) I’ve seen,” Woodall said.

According to police, Harris, who was the caretaker of the children, did nothing to save Jamal.

“They made no attempts for emergency medical attention for that child,” Woodall said.

Harris appeared in court Wednesday, and a judge ordered her held without bond.

“She willfully and intentionally deprived a 4-year-old child,” the judge said.

Harris, 30, barely shook her head in disagreement with the details that the judge read from a warrant.

Harris’ brother told Channel 2’s Tom Jones that his sister did nothing wrong.

“She was telling (the girl) to take him out (of the bathtub),” he said.

Harris’ brother said she didn’t take the child to the hospital for a reason.

“We don’t know if they have insurance or not, so my sister was just taking care of him,” he said.

Harris’ brother said she treated Jamal until he took a turn for the worse.

“The sister said he needed to be in the bath because he peed on himself,” Harris’ brother said.

The brother said Harris was taking care of the children because their parents left them with the family and never returned to get them.

Clayton County police say the 15-year-old will be charged as an adult.