GUILTY: Accused of pouring hot grits onto sleeping woman and child, Leah Corney reaches plea deal

MILWAUKEE COUNTY (WITI) -- She faces several charges -- accused of pouring hot grits on a woman and a six-month-old child as they slept. Now, she's reached a plea deal in the case against her.

40-year-old Leah Corney on Monday, March 2nd pleaded guilty to a felony charge of second degree reckless injury and a felony charge of child abuse - recklessly causing great harm.

Felony charges of first degree reckless injury and first degree recklessly endangering safety were dismissed.

FOX6 News spoke with one of the witnesses listed in court records, who says the victim and her two children had been staying at her apartment near 15th and Greenfield.

On October 3rd, 2014, the witness says she ran into Corney. The women were all hanging out -- but eventually, Corney and the victim began arguing.

A criminal complaint filed against Corney says "the argument became physical, and police were called."

After police left, the witness says she believed everything was cool.

The victim and her children went to sleep in one room, and Corney, who wound up spending the night, went to bed in another room.

Around 1:00 a.m., the complaint says the victim "felt an extreme burning sensation" and realized both she and her son were covered in hot grits. She then saw Corney flee the residence.

A doctor at Children's Hospital says the six-month-old child had burns on 40 percent of his body. She says those burns "will require long-term treatment, and will be life-altering." The burns will also likely be permanently disfiguring.

Records show Corney was convicted of child neglect in 2004. She was sentenced to six months in jail.

Corney will be sentenced on April 23rd in this latest case. She has been remanded into custody until that sentencing date.

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