Inset: Gregory Bernard Campbell (Anderson County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office). Background: The block in Anderson County where Campbell allegedly threw boiling water on his great niece (Google Maps).
A South Carolina man has been arrested after authorities say he threw a pot of boiling water on a 24-year-old family member following “a few disagreements,” leaving her with severe injuries that required treatment at a burn center. Gregory Bernard Campbell was taken into custody last week and charged with one count of assault and battery, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on Friday, Sept. 5, to a home in the 1000 block of Misty Circle in Belton, South Carolina, regarding a domestic disturbance. The house is located about 215 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina.
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Authorities said that they placed Campbell under arrest after learning that he “poured boiling water” on the victim, who authorities identified as Campbell’s great niece.
The sheriff’s office said the victim was transported to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, for treatment of her injuries, which is about 90 miles southeast of the residence in Belton.
“Gregory Bernard Campbell used boiling water to hurt his family member,” the release states.
The sheriff’s office provided some additional details about the alleged attack to The Charlotte Observer, reportedly saying that the attack was unprovoked.
“They had a few disagreements leading up to the attack,” the agency reportedly told the newspaper. “However, that day it came out of the blue. He was simply standing over the stove one minute and as she walked by, proceeded to throw the water on her.”
Authorities did not provide details about the victim’s injuries or her current condition. However, according to the American Burn Association, while water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, just brief exposure to water as low as 140 degrees Fahrenheit can “cause a burn serious enough to require surgery.”
The sheriff’s office said Campbell was released from the Anderson County Detention Center after posting bond. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear in court.
