PALM SPRINGS, FL – A Florida woman has been arrested following accusations that she used a hot iron to burn a young girl while allegedly telling the child she no longer loved her.
Celie Placius, 43, was taken into custody last Thursday and charged with child abuse resulting in great bodily harm. According to a probable cause affidavit, officers from the Palm Springs Police Department responded to an alarming call on April 24, 2025, from a daycare center reporting suspicions of child abuse after noticing a burn on a girl’s forearm.
Police interviewed Placius regarding the incident. Initially, she claimed ignorance about the cause of the burn, suggesting the child might have been injured while playing. She later changed her account, saying she had left a clothes iron unattended briefly, and when she returned, she noticed a sticky residue on the iron. The child, she said, mentioned using the iron on her folder but didn’t seem harmed at the time.
The narrative took a troubling turn when an in-person interview with the child revealed a different story. The girl recounted that while eating dinner and playing with her brothers, Placius used the iron to burn her forearm in two places, allegedly telling her, “I’m not your friend and I don’t love you anymore.” The affidavit noted that Placius later applied cream to the burns.
The girl, noted by experts for her ability to discern truth from lies, said the incident occurred at the dining room table and included the iron being used on her school folder. Observers described the burn on her forearm as fresh and blistering.
In a separate interview, Placius allegedly provided conflicting statements to investigators about the incident, including her awareness of the injury being a burn and whether she had treated it with cream. She maintained innocence after being read her Miranda rights, denying any involvement in the child’s injuries.
Law enforcement concluded that the injuries did not appear to be accidental or self-inflicted. The detailed examination of the burn marks suggested they were caused by prolonged exposure to high heat, indicative of deliberate harm, which could result in significant injury or permanent damage.
Placius was arrested and housed at the Palm Beach County Jail with a bond set at $5,000. Court records show her next court appearance is on May 27, 2025.