Chelsea Man Accused of Burning His 2-Year-Old Son with a Lighter and Choking His Nephew
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A man from Chelsea, Massachusetts, appeared in court for arraignment on multiple assault-related charges after allegedly burning his 2-year-old son with a lighter and physically assaulting his 3-year-old nephew by hitting him and attempting to choke him. According to details presented in court, 19-year-old Kener Bautista-Zepeda allegedly assaulted both children and fled to Virginia after being confronted by his nephew's mother, who noticed a series of marks and injuries. Assistant District Attorney Allyson Portney stated that Bautista-Zepeda is charged with 'two counts of extreme violence against minors' living with him in the same home. He was indicted by a grand jury on May 20 on charges including assault, reckless endangerment of a child, strangulation, and suffocation. In court, it was detailed that on March 12, 2025, Chelsea police responded to a report of domestic violence. Upon arrival, they spoke with the mother of the 2-year-old, who reported that the night before, her boyfriend, Bautista-Zepeda, the child's father, 'had acted aggressively towards her.' He pushed and hit her, and during the argument, the 2-year-old began to cry, according to the report. Bautista-Zepeda became enraged and used a lighter to burn the child on the upper back. Officers observed the resulting burn on the child, indicating it was the size of a nickel. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visit www.thehotline.org, or text LOVEIS to 22522. Then, on April 5, Portney reported that Revere police went to Boston Medical Center to investigate a report that Bautista-Zepeda had physically assaulted another child, his 3-year-old nephew. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the child's mother, who stated that Bautista-Zepeda regularly cared for her son. She reported that several weeks earlier, she had noticed burns on her son's arm, apparently caused by a hot fork. After this incident, the mother installed a camera in the child's room, and on April 3, around 11 a.m., the camera recorded Bautista-Zepeda violently assaulting the child. Prosecutors indicated that the 30-second recording showed the child lying on the bed. The child gets up and walks towards Bautista-Zepeda with his arms outstretched, as if wanting to be picked up. Bautista-Zepeda is then seen lifting the child with both hands above his head, just inches from the ceiling, and then throwing him onto the bed. The child begins to cry in pain, and Bautista-Zepeda punches him three times in the abdomen, according to the recording. He then gets on top of the child, covering his mouth and nose with both hands and applying pressure to his neck, face, and nose for about 19 seconds. The child is seen struggling to breathe and trying to move while Bautista-Zepeda applies pressure. When the child's mother confronted Bautista-Zepeda and told him she had recorded the incident, he fled and turned off his cell phone. A month later, he was found hiding in a forest in Loudoun County, Virginia, last week. Defense attorney Lumina Sato did not oppose Bautista-Zepeda remaining held without bail, arguing that she wants to review all information before the dangerousness hearing scheduled for May 28. Bautista-Zepeda will remain in custody until that date. Bautista-Zepeda was charged with 12 counts related to domestic violence for injuries suffered by the two minors. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing next week.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
