A 35-year-old Bunnell woman was arrested and charged with child abuse after police learned her infant son suffered from burn marks, according to a charging affidavit.

Jessica Marie Jordan, 35, was charged by prosecutors with one count of child abuse and one count of neglect of a child, each a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Jordan was arrested Tuesday and remained at the Flagler County jail on Wednesday where she was being held on $70,000, according to the jail’s website.

According to the affidavit, Jordan suffers from a traumatic brain injury, “has some mental challenges” and is taking several psychological medications.

The investigation began after Bunnell Police were called to AdventHealth Daytona Beach where a child protection team forensic nurse concluded that the 6-week-old boy was suffering from intentional “brand” burn marks on his upper left chest and left shoulder area which were consistent with a cigarette burn, the affidavit stated. The nurse said she believes the injuries were inflicted from three to seven days prior, the affidavit stated. She also said the child appeared malnourished and underweight.

The officer then went to Project WARM, which is a residential behavioral health-care program which serves “substance abuse victims who are pregnant women, postpartum or parenting young children.” WARM stands for Women Assisting Recovery Mothers.

Smoking is prohibited at the facility and every time Jordan leaves, she is tested for narcotics and nicotine upon her return; she has not tested positive, the affidavit stated.

Jordan told police that she used to smoke but no longer does because it is not permitted at Project WARM.

Jordan said she was the only person around her child and she said she had no idea how he was burned, the affidavit stated.

Jordan said she knew the burn injuries were on her son for the past three days and also said she did nothing about them, the affidavit stated. She also said she didn’t realize the injury was serious, the affidavit stated.

Jordan admitted neglecting her son by failing to report or get medical treatment for serious burns, the affidavit stated. She said she feared getting in trouble, the affidavit stated.

Others at the facility said they were worried about how Jordan was caring for the child, saying she did not hold him properly, failing to support his head, the affidavit stated.

The affidavit stated that Jordan “knew or should have known she or someone she knew knowingly and intentionally inflicted serious bodily harm on her son.”

Jordan has a 13-year-old daughter but she does not have custody of the child, the affidavit stated. Jordan was found guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor on Jan. 12, 2023, the affidavit stated.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bunnell woman charged with child abuse, accused of burning infant son