Prosecutors said the 22-year-old did not immediately seek emergency help after his 7-week-old child suffered serious burns.
GREENSBORO, NC — A Greensboro father accused of seriously burning his 7-week-old child with hot water was denied bond Friday after prosecutors described the infant’s injuries and the circumstances surrounding the child’s hospitalization.
Jaylen Lason Walker, 22, is charged with felony intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. Court documents accuse Walker of causing burns to the infant that resulted in peeling skin. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Walker’s attorney argued during the hearing that there was no clear evidence the injuries were intentionally inflicted.
Greensboro police and emergency crews responded shortly before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to apartments in the 400 block of Avalon Road after receiving a report involving a child with burns. Police said emergency medical personnel were already at the scene when officers arrived. Court records say hot water caused the injuries.
Prosecutors said Walker contacted the child’s mother while she was at work and told her the baby had been burned during a bath. The mother repeatedly told Walker to call 911 and said she was returning home, according to the prosecution. Investigators allege Walker did not immediately summon emergency help and instead took the infant to relatives nearby.
The child’s mother eventually called 911 after seeing the injuries, prosecutors said. The infant was taken to Moses Cone Hospital and later transferred to Brenner Children’s Hospital for further treatment. Court records described serious burns, while prosecutors said doctors also discovered healing rib fractures during the child’s medical evaluation. Authorities have not publicly explained how those fractures occurred.
Prosecutors told the court that Walker could not initially be located after the child was taken for treatment. Investigators later found him at a grocery store on East Market Street, and he was taken into custody early Thursday. Authorities have not announced additional charges related to the fractures.
During Friday’s bond hearing, Walker’s attorney emphasized that Walker had no criminal record and argued that the available evidence did not clearly establish that he deliberately caused the child’s injuries. The judge nevertheless found that the evidence presented at the hearing supported treating the alleged offense as a violent crime and ordered Walker held without bond.
The Department of Social Services is involved in the case. Authorities have not released an updated condition for the infant, and the available court and police information does not establish how the child’s earlier rib injuries occurred. Walker remains accused, and the criminal charge against him must still be resolved through the court process.
Court records indicate Walker is expected to return to court Nov. 25. No additional findings about the cause of the child’s injuries had been announced as of Sunday.
Author note: Last updated October 25, 2026.