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Cops: Dad burnt 3-year-old's face with fork

Police who responded to a domestic dispute at an Upper Darby home Tuesday were shocked to discover a 3-year-old autistic boy in the house with the burn print of a fork on his face.

Police who responded to a domestic dispute at an Upper Darby home Tuesday were shocked to discover a 3-year-old autistic boy in the house with the burn print of a fork on his face.

The child's father, 48-year-old Miguel Sanchez, was arrested for the brutal act and the child's mother is now under investigation for cigarette burns found on the chest of another of the couple's four children, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

"These poor kids were treated like they were animals," Chitwood said.

Around 3:30 p.m., an officer responded to the couple's house on Radbourne Road near Church Lane because the mother, whose name has not yet been released, reported that Sanchez had stolen her debit card, Chitwood said.

The responding officer, who had been at the house the previous day to address accusations that Sanchez was pushing his girlfriend around, noticed the fresh burn mark of a fork on the 3-year-old's face, according to police.

The officer found a burnt fork in the sink and the other children, who range in age from 2 to 6, told investigators that their dad had burnt their brother with the fork.

"You feel sorry for these kids," Chitwood said. "They are the witnesses."

Through investigations, police said they found marks consistent with cigarette burns on the chest of a 6-year-old boy. The boy allegedly told cops his mom burnt him.

Delaware County Children and Youth Services took all four children from the house and put them in protective custody, Chitwood said.

Sanchez was arrested and charged with recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and related offenses. Chitwood said Sanchez's girlfriend is "protecting the guy" even though she is the one who called police to the house in the first place.

Chitwood said the investigation remains active and ongoing with a goal of arresting the mother for the assault on the 6-year-old child.