(Opelousas LA KLFY) A four year old is in the hospital and his father is behind bars. This, after Opelousas Police say he put his son in scalding bath water, because he wet the bed.

Carey Cortez broke down as he tried to explain why his four year old son would have to sleep in a hospital bed Wednesday night, suffering from first and second degree burns to both feet.

"I got angry with him. He wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I love my children, never meant to hurt him."

Carey was arrested by Opelousas Police for cruelty to a juvenile; after teachers at Park Vista Elementary noticed his son screaming after Carey dropped him off.

Teachers removed his shoes, revealing deep-red blisters, described as the color of crawfish. The boy's sister, also a student at Park Vista, told teachers their father put him in hot bath water, after the four year old wet the bed.

"Never thought to check how hot the water was. He told me it was hot, I was so upset I didn't listen." said Cortez.

Cortez admits that when he dropped him off for school, he was limping in pain, but still did nothing to help his son.

"He cried, but I didn't think it was from pain. I just thought it was because I was mad."

The boy lives with his father and step mother, Annie Smith, who also was arrested for obstruction of justice. Police say she tried to convince the child not to tell anyone what happened.

Jason Newton