A jealous Florida man set the caretaker of his late mother on fire this week after learning that the woman was in a “loving affair,” according to police officials, with his stepdad.
According to an arrest report obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, police charged Luiss Quinonez, aged 53, with pouring gasoline on the victim and then setting her on fire in a senseless assault on Monday night, November 30, in the southeast town of Lantana, Florida.
Neighbors claim they saw a 61-year-old woman on fire, running away from the scene.
She suffered second-and third-degree burns and is now in critical condition in the hospital.
Before the attack, Quinonez, who said he was intoxicated, was arrested by police and charged with attempted first-degree murder. Without a bond, he is being held.
The suspect allegedly said he was angry about the woman’s alleged relationship with his stepfather when he was interviewed by police because he was still in love with her.
The victim lived for years in the home of his parents and used to take care of Quinonez’s mother until the elderly woman died about a month ago.
He told deputies that on Monday night, he went to the gas station and filled a container with petrol. He returned home later, poured the liquid over the victim, and set her on fire.
They discovered Quinonez using a garden hose when firefighters arrived at the scene to try to put out a fire that had spread to the building, but he ignored the burning victim.
The perpetrator allegedly told police that if the man had been home at the time, he would have killed his own stepfather instead.