Man accused of burning girlfriend's son also faces molestation charge

Khalil Jabali, 23, accused of touching girl's vagina over clothing

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. ā€“ A man who was arrested Sunday on an aggravated child abuse charge after his girlfriend's son was seriously burned while in his care now faces a molestation chargeĀ for a separate incident, authorities said.

According to an arrest report, a 6-year-old girl was interviewed by detectives Monday and said that Khalil Jabali, 23, touched her vagina over her clothing while she was lying on her mother's bed at their home in Miami Gardens.

Police said the incident occurred when the victim was 5.

During the interview, the girl was able to make a distinction between the truth and a lie, authorities said.

Local 10 News is withholding the relationship between Jabli and the victim to protect the childā€™s identity.

Jabali remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

According to a police report, Jabali was watching his girlfriend's three children Sunday while she was at work when the woman's 4-year-old son was burned by hot water that had been boiled in the microwave.

Khalil Jabali, of Miami Gardens, is facing charges of aggravated child abuse and molestation of a child in connection with two separate incidents.

Police said Jabali called his girlfriend to tell her that the boy had wet his bed and was burned by hot water that he left in the bathroom when her younger child started crying.

Explaining that he had boiled water in the microwave so he could wash the boy's wet clothes, Jabali told police he left a bowl of hot water on the bathroom sink while he was in another room checking on the other child. When he returned to the bathroom, Jabali said he found the boy on the floor moaning and his skin peeling off.

The boy's mother left work and, along with Jabali, took her son to Jackson North Medical Center. He was then transferred to the burn unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center.

Police said the boyĀ had burns to 15 percent of his body.

"They do not know if he is going to survive, and if he does he will likely be in a vegetative state," a prosecutor told Miami-Dade County Judge Renatha Francis during Jabali's bond hearing Monday morning.

Police said the boy had other injuries, including bleeding around the brain and the chest cavity and broken ribs.Ā 

The prosecutor said paramedics were never called.

Francis initially set Jabali's bond at $10,000. She also ordered him to remain on house arrest upon his release and to stay at least 500 feet away from the child.

However, Jabali reappeared in court Tuesday, at which time Francis ordered him held without bond due to the new charge. He was also ordered to have no contact with either victim.Ā 


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.