Masked men terrorize Texas family, burn child with hot water during home invasion, officials say

A 7-year-old boy was burned with scalding hot water during a home invasion in Texas on Monday. (iStock)

Three masked men terrorized a Texas family during a home invasion early Monday, even scalding a 7-year-old with hot water so his parents could give them money, police said.

The Fort Bend County's Sheriff's Office said the incident took place in Richmond, located about 30 miles southwest of Houston. Three men broke into the home with two adults and two kids around 4 a.m., and then used the victim's children to find money in the home, according to KPRC.

The masked men burned the young boy with scalding hot water during the 30-minute ordeal in order to force the parents to tell them where their valuables were, police said.

"The trauma on the small children," Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls told KHOU. "To see what took place in that house and to be used as a device to try to extract information from the father is very, very disturbing."

The men , who are still being sought, stole jewelry, cash, a cell phone and car keys as they fled, according to ABC13.

Nehls told KPRC the boy's father suffered head injuries during the ordeal.

Authorities believe there may be surveillance video of the suspects in the neighborhood, and said the incident remains under investigation.