Woman Who Poured Boiling Oil on Ex Faces Up to 17 Years in Prison

A Moreno Valley woman who poured scalding hot oil on her ex-husband as he slept, inflicting injuries that left him permanently disfigured, is slated to be sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in prison.

Karina Morrow, 38, committed the assault last August and since that time has been held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

Last month, the defense negotiated a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office under which Morrow agreed to plead guilty to domestic violence, mayhem, burglary and a sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegation. In exchange, prosecutors offered to drop charges of aggravated mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon.

Superior Court Judge Matthew Peratoni is expected to certify the agreement tomorrow and impose the sentence to which both sides stipulated.

According to the District Attorney's Office, Morrow and the victim -- identified only as John Doe -- had divorced not long before the Aug. 20 attack. They have two children together, both of them under 5 years old.

The victim invited Morrow and the youngsters to stay with him, apparently so he and his ex-wife could talk over ongoing issues they were having related to the divorce. They slept in separate rooms.

When Morrow discovered her ex-husband had been dating, she became infuriated, according to prosecutors.

In the predawn hours, the defendant went into the kitchen and heated a vat of cooking oil, then took the boiling liquid into the victim's bedroom and dumped it over most of his body as he lay asleep on his bed.

The severely burned man was temporarily blinded and disabled, unable to even pick up his phone, according to the D.A.'s office. He ran out of the house, screaming for help, as Morrow fled in her car. After knocking on several doors, one of the victim's neighbors awoke and called 911.

The man was rushed to a regional burn center with injuries to over 65 percent of his body, including his face.

"He was significantly scarred," D.A.'s office spokesman John Hall said.

Morrow, who has no prior documented criminal history, drove to Los Angeles County and surrendered to sheriff's deputies that morning.

Because her offense was a violent felony, she'll have to serve at least 85 percent of her sentence before she's eligible for parole.

— City News Service.