An Elizabethton woman is facing a felony charge after police say she failed to get medical attention for her 4-month-old infant after the child suffered burns to the head.

Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested Carolyn Sue Carver Moorer, 30, of 214 W. H St., Elizabethton, on Wednesday and charged her with aggravated child neglect.

According to court documents, EPD Cpl. Eric Buck responded to Moorer’s home on West H Street in reference to a request for a welfare check on a 4-month-old infant living in the home.

Buck said when he arrived he knocked on the door several times but no one answered, so he left the residence. A few minutes later, Buck said he was called back to the home by the Department of Children’s Services. When he arrived at the home the second time, Buck said he met with the owner of the home, Michael Freeman, on the front porch.

Freeman told the officer he was the person who filed the complaint with DCS and invited Buck into the home to speak with Moorer, whom he identified as his daughter and the mother of the injured infant. Buck then entered the home with Freeman.

“Ms. Moorer stated she knew why I was there and immediately picked the child up and showed me the burn marks on the child’s head,” Buck said. “I did observe a substantial amount of what appeared to be a burn injury to the top of the child’s head and right ear.”

“Ms. Moorer stated the injury occurred approximately four to five days ago,” Buck continued. “Ms. Moorer stated a candle was burning on a bedroom dresser at approximately 1 a.m. and her 4-year-old child bumped into the dresser causing the candle to fall on the infant.”

Moorer told the officer the following day she took the infant to see her cousin, whom she said is a nurse at a local hospital. She said her cousin told her to keep giving the infant an antibiotic which had been prescribed on January 2 for a previous illness. According to Buck, Moorer said she did not take the child to a medical doctor for treatment of the burn injuries.

“Due to Ms. Moorer not seeking the proper medical treatment for the infant’s injury, the extent of the injury, and the infant’s age she was placed under arrest for aggravated child neglect,” Buck said. “In addition, I noticed the residence was in poor living conditions for any age of children. I observed decayed food in the floor, roaches on several items in the kitchen and throughout the house, improper bedding for the children, and filth in general.”

Buck said officials with DCS were at the home at the time he arrested Moorer and continued to investigate their side of the incident.