32-year-old woman charged with scalding infant

After allegedly scalding her infant with boiling water, a woman faces a $75,000 bond and up to 20 years in prison, police said on Thursday.

Police arrested Margarita Cuellar Alvarado, 32, on charges of child endangerment on Wednesday after she took her injured 8-month-old to the hospital, police spokesman Jimmy Manrrique said.

The child is currently being treated at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, according to police.

The woman, an undocumented immigrant, was initially turned over to Border Patrol after telling police the child had been left in the tub for an extended period, Manrrique said.

But after authorities determined that the injuries did not match up with her story, she was returned to county custody and bond was raised to $75,000, police said.

"After examining the child it was apparent that something more graphic had happened," Manrrique said. "It's possible that she submerged the child in boiling water."

Alvarado likely waited more than a day before taking the wounded infant for medical attention, police said.

If she is convicted of the second-degree felony, Alvarado may face up to 20 years in prison.