Man charged with burning child with hot lighter

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Steve Wallace Lanier II, 28, was arrested yesterday for allegedly burning a child with a hot lighter.

The victim reportedly told her teacher that when she went into the kitchen, she saw Lanier playing with a lighter, running his fingers through the flame. She said Lanier told her he would burn her if she did not get out of the kitchen, and then he deliberately pressed the hot lighter against her arm.

A witness reportedly confirmed that Lanier had burned the child but said Lanier was only playing with the child; the relationships between the child, Lanier, and the witness were redacted from the arrest report.

An Alachua Police Department officer reported that Lanier was uncooperative with investigators from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and said the child scratched herself while playing.

The officer conducted a follow-up investigation and reported that the victim told the same story she had previously given to the teacher and the DCF investigator, adding that both Lanier and the witness were in the kitchen during the incident. She said Lanier moved his fingers through the flame before threatening her and then intentionally pressing the hot lighter to her arm.

The officer noted that an adult who keeps a lighter flame lit long enough to run his fingers through it knows, or reasonably should know, that the metal casing is hot enough to burn skin.

The officer reported that the burn on the child’s arm had two burn marks, consistent in size and shape with the top casing of a lighter.

Lanier has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. He has no local criminal convictions; a 2022 charge of offering plumbing services without a license was dropped after he successfully completed a pre-trial diversion agreement. Judge Adam Lee set bail at $20,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.