Boy badly burned by stepmom in "fire challenge," police say
PITTSBURGH - Two parents in western Pennsylvania have been charged after one of them allegedly challenged their teenage son to set his buttocks on fire, and then both refused him treatment for a month, causing his wounds to become infected and resulting in permanent scarring, reports CBS Pittsburgh.
Police in Fayette County say Connie Kirby bullied her now 15-year-old stepson, Tre Kirby, to agree to a "fire challenge" by calling him a "punk," according to the station.
"She asked me if I wanted to play the game," Tre said. "And I said no. So then she called me 'punk,' so we did it. We went in the bathroom, she poured a whole bunch [of alcohol] on my butt and then she lit it on fire."
Police say Tre screamed in pain while on fire for about a minute until his sister put out the flames using Kool-Aid, reports the station. According to the criminal complaint, he was burned over 16 percent of his body.
Police say Connie Kirby refused to take the boy to the hospital when he asked, says CBS Pittsburgh, and when his father, William Kirby, came home and saw what had happened, he also allegedly refused to take the boy to the hospital.
Police say the teene was refused treatment for a month, during which, "his skin bubbled up, filled with fluid, and burst." They say his wounds then became infected.
However, Connie Kirby told police that the children made up the story because they wanted to live with their mother and that the boy was actually injured by standing too close to a wood pile, reports the station.
Tre's mom, Candra Burkes, only found out when she saw the scars on Tre's legs and claims his father told her, "He said he was riding the lawnmower, it fell over and Tre caught on fire from that."
However, doctors say that his wounds did not support that story. Police say medical records from the Pittsburgh Child Advocacy Center at Children's Hospital say, "The scars that are seen were caused by liquid that dripped between the legs. The stories of being burned by a bonfire or lawnmower are not consistent with the injuries."
Connie Kirby apparently took to Facebook after being charged with the crime, writing: "The kids are out of control. They will pay for this. They did this to their other stepmother before me."
According to the station, Connie and William Kirby face several charges, including reckless endangerment and assault.