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Day care remains open after child critically burned

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A Hall County day care can stay open as investigators question employees about a case of child cruelty.

Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach said sheriff's deputies spent the day speaking with workers at Discovering Basics and additional charges are possible.

Deputies arrested Eddye Pittmon, 55, on Friday after a 16-month-old at the day care suffered serious burns, likely caused by hot liquid.

Investigators say Damon Gaddis had second- and third-degree burns on his stomach and left leg, and Pittmon failed to seek medical treatment.

The child received no treatment for the injuries until his mother picked him up eight hours later.

"If that is true, that is the parent's worst nightmare," attorney Mike Weaver said. Weaver represents the mother of Gaddis. "If the child is injured the first person you contact would be the parent," he told Gehlbach.

Pittmon told the child's mother that he had a reaction to bug bites and she applied ointment, according to deputies. She appeared in Hall County court on Monday and will remain jailed until a bond hearing on Thursday.

Discovering Basics was allowed to stay open after appealing an emergency closure notice from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

"We feel like the organization failed to meet the needs of this child," said DECAL Deputy Commissioner Keith Bostick.

Officials at the day care facility would not comment on the case when contacted by Gehlbach. The owners will have to appear before a state board in the next 48 hours to see if they will remain open.