Bensalem Woman Arrested in Child Abuse Case

Bensalem Township Police arrested a woman at her home on Friday morning, after a lengthy child abuse investigation, police said.

Andrea Amaya, 24, of 3131 Knights Rd. was arrested at 9:24 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, and was charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and simple assault, according to a release from the Bensalem Police Department. She had been the target of a lengthy investigation by the police department's Special Victims Unit, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office and Bucks County Children and Youth.

The focus of the child abuse investigation was the 3-year-old daughter of Amaya, who was hospitalized at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia on Nov. 3. The child had a 3rd-degree burn on her right hand and severe bruising on her body. The child was provided the necessary medical treatment, which included skin grafts to repair the severe burn.

Based on the examination completed at St. Christopher's by their Child Protection Program, it was determined that the child was severely abused, neglected and malnourished by her mother, Amaya.

The three-year-old is currently thriving in a foster facility with Bucks County Children and Youth, police reported. Amaya has five other children who have also been placed in a foster home. 

After the arrest, Amaya was arraigned by Judge Brown and sent to Bucks County Prison on $200,000 bail.