The 12-year-old girl who “pranked” her friend by pouring boiling water on her face tried to kill herself after she realized the severity of what she had done.
“My daughter tried to stab herself with a knife,” said mom Shernett Panton, 34, on Thursday. “It was a prank — not a good prank. But after she saw what she did to (Jamoneisha) was really wrong, she tried to kill herself.”
What’s more, 12-year-old Aniya Grant Stuart was allegedly choked by 11-year-old Jamoneisha Merritt‘s mother, who came to the Pantons’ apartment to shout threats on Thursday.
“I’m going to cut your face, you f—ing b—-!” Ebony Merritt screamed at Panton. “I’m going to burn your f—ing house down! You let this happen to my daughter!”
–Girl throws boiling water on 11-year-old friend during sleepover–
Panton said that her daughter and Jamoneisha, who they knew as Jamoni, were good friends and that Jamoneisha had practically moved into their apartment. She said that the two girls pranked each other all the time.
“They always prank each other,” said Panton. “My daughter was sleeping and Jamoni poured cold water on Aniya. My daughter was like, ‘OK, if you’re gonna do a prank on me, I’m gonna prank you back.’
“But my daughter — I don’t know what she was thinking — boiled hot water and poured it on Jamoni’s face.”
Jamoneisha was rushed to Harlem Hospital’s burn unit, and Rev. Robert Rice prayed with her, along with her mother and grandmother, in the hospital room.
“She’s doing fine, she’s strong,” said Rice. “Her spirit is strong. I gave her a hug, and she’s smiling.”
Meanwhile, Aniya is under suicide watch at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, according to her mother.
“What she did was really wrong, but it’s too much right now,” Panton said. “My daughter is 12. Everybody makes mistakes.”
Graphic Image. #Exclusive #NYC Girl Jamoneisha Merritt latest victim of #hotwaterchallenge. Kids tossing boiling water on others. More @NY1 pic.twitter.com/fiWlWxeNTC
— Dean Meminger (@DeanMeminger) August 9, 2017