Latest news with #LancasterTownshipPolice
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
9-Year-Old Left with ‘Severe Burns' After 12-Year-Old Brother Doused Him in Boiling Water
Police claim the incident is linked to an online prank called the "Hot Water Challenge"NEED TO KNOW A 12-year-old boy is facing charges after pouring hot water on his 9-year-old brother in Pennsylvania, according to police Police said the incident was part of a social media challenge called the "Hot Water Challenge" Some videos of a challenge described by some as a "fake" hot water challenge have recently been making the rounds on social mediaA 9-year-old boy is recovering from "severe burns" he sustained after his 12-year-old brother poured hot water on him. The incident occurred on July 29 in Pennsylvania, according to a news release from the Lancaster Township Police Department (LTPD). The 12-year-old boy is said to have 'boiled water in a microwave' before pouring it over his brother while the 9-year-old slept, leaving the child with "severe burns" on his neck and chest. The younger brother was transported to the Lehigh Burn Center, police said. His condition has not been made public. The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office has said the older brother is now being charged with aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, police said. Pollice claimed that this incident was part of a social media prank known as the 'Hot Water Challenge.' Some news reports have surfaced over the last several years referencing the challenge described by the Lancaster Township Police Department, including one instance involving a 15-year-old from Texas in July 2018, shared by ABC affiliate KTRK-TV. PEOPLE cannot independently verify that a social media challenge exists in which individuals are encouraged to actually pour hot water on another individual. However, PEOPLE can confirm that a similar challenge, described by some on social media as a 'fake boiling water challenge,' has been making the rounds. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The prank involves one person pretending to pour hot water on another individual, who is made to believe the water is much hotter than it actually is. Popular streamer ishowspeed is one of multiple online personalities featured in such videos. The LTPD is reminding parents to monitor their child's online activity in the wake of the incident in Lancaster Township. Police are also encouraging parents to review the "Parenting Tips for Online Safety" from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a printable brochure that offers 'advice on how to take control and monitor' children's online activity. Read the original article on People
CBS News
07-08-2025
- CBS News
Pennsylvania boy severely burns brother after pouring boiling water on him for social media prank, police say
A 9-year-old boy in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, suffered severe burns after his 12-year-old brother poured boiling water on him during a prank gone wrong, police said. In a news release on Tuesday, the Lancaster Township Police Department said the 12-year-old brother decided to prank his young brother as part of the "Hot Water Challenge." Lancaster Township police said the older boy boiled water in the microwave before pouring it on his sleeping brother, resulting in severe burns to the boy's neck and chest. The 9-year-old boy was taken to Lehigh Valley Health Network's Burn Recovery Center in Allentown for treatment. The incident happened on July 29, and authorities said they are investigating. The boy's exact condition was not released. In the news release, Lancaster Township police said it wants to remind parents to monitor the online activity of their kids. The department provided a resource for parents to review from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program. A brochure provides "not only advice on how to take control and monitor your child's online activity, but it provides links on how to control/monitor your child's specific device, as well as many other useful tips," Lancaster Township police said in the news release. The "Hot Water Challenge" is just the latest social media trend that has injured a young child. In August 2024, a viral Jolly Rancher TikTok recipe left a 9-year-old boy in Fayette County with severe burns. Doctors at Shriners Children's Boston also warned parents about the viral recipe.
