Shocking Child Abuse Case in Fort Walton Beach Staff Reports December 3, 2025 5:05 pm Crime, Fort Walton Beach, Public Safety In Brief: A Fort Walton Beach–area woman was arrested after deputies say she intentionally burned the hands of two children in her care. The children suffered suspected second- and third-degree burns and were later transferred to a specialized burn center in Mobile. The suspect, Jeny Soto Duenas, is being held without bond and also faces an ICE detainer. A Fort Walton Beach–area woman is facing serious charges after investigators say she intentionally burned the hands of two young children in her care. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested 52-year-old Jeny Soto Duenas on Tuesday, charging her with two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm. She is being held without bond at the Okaloosa County Jail and is also on hold for ICE, according to deputies. Deputies responded to Destin–Fort Walton Beach Hospital around 10:30 p.m. Monday, where two children—ages three and five—had been brought in with severe, untreated second- and third-degree burns on the palms of their hands. A family member told investigators that Soto Duenas admitted she became frustrated with the children for asking for more food after already eating. According to the Sheriff’s Office, she allegedly pressed both children’s hands onto a hot griddle and held them there, then failed to seek medical care. The incident reportedly took place inside a trailer on Barks Drive during the early morning hours of December 2. Both children...
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