BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (TND) — 6-year-old Dominick Krankall was set on fire by a bully who has a history of abusing him, family members reportedly said.
The young boy is now in the hospital, suffering from second and third-degree burns to his face and legs, according to WNBC News.
The alleged bully is an 8-year-old neighbor who reportedly obtained gasoline and lighters, lit a ball on fire, and threw it at Dominick on Sunday.
As Dominick's sister Kayla Deegan explains on the GoFundMe page set up for her brother, the young boy was left to die after the attack.
My little brother Dom has been bullied for a while by the tenants downstairs. It escalated to a deadly intent. Dominick, MY 6 YEAR OLD BROTHER could’ve died. The kid covered a ball in gasoline, lit it on fire, and threw it at him. All in the matter of SECONDS," Deegan writes on the GoFundMe page. "Dom has second and third degree burns on his face and leg. He’s going to be scarred for life mentally and physically.
Deegan says her family is asking for money so they can find a new home, as their current one "is not safe."
Police were called to the scene after the attack, and the young boy was taken to the hospital, according to WTNH News.This kid downstairs has gotten away with too much and has a history of bullying. The mother thinks he is innocent. The family thinks it’s a joke. Even though Dominick can’t talk because he’s in a lot of pain and all swollen, he said to my mom, 'Please don’t take me back there,' Deegan says
"Preliminary reports indicate that up to four unattended children were seen playing with gasoline and lighting objects on fire," Bridgeport police reportedly said.
Speaking with WTNH News, Dominick's mother Maria Rua says her son has been bullied for a year by the alleged 8-year-old perpetrator.
Rua tells the news station her son will be in the hospital for a few days, adding it's hard for her to watch her son in pain.My son has been bullied by this child for a year," Rua reportedly says. That day, they purposefully threw a gasoline-saturated ball that they lit on fire at my son’s face. They called his name so he would turn around. They threw it at Dominick and left him outside alone to die.
His face is about twice the size it normally is,” Rua said. “He’s swollen with blisters. You can’t even see his beautiful eyes anymore," Rua tells KMPH News. "He’s a strong boy though, he’s coping... For what he’s going through, watching him have to get those bandages off and his face scraped is painful for him and it’s painful for me to watch that and it’s not fair to him.