May 13, 2015 1 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh woman already charged with burning and malnourishing her 58-pound adult son has now also been charged with theft for allegedly spending his Social Security benefits while he was hospitalized.

Defense attorney Almon Burke didn’t respond directly to the charges filed Tuesday against 44-year-old Vonda Brown, but says he believes the burn charges are the result of a misdiagnosis.

Authorities say Brown submerged the 24-year-old man’s hand in a hot liquid in October, resulting in a 58-day hospital stay. But Burke says medical records he’s seen suggest Brown’s son was being treated for a staph infection.

Whatever the case, state agents now say Brown spent her son’s Social Security checks while he was in the hospital and didn’t use the money for his medical care.

Brown’s son is autistic and has cerebral palsy.