A Connecticut 6-year-old boy is receiving treatments for second and third-degree burns after he was bullied and his face brutally burned with a makeshift fireball by another child.
Dominick Krankall was playing with some children in their backyard in their Bridgeport, Connecticut home on Sunday, April 24, when one of the kids, an 8-year-old, allegedly lured him into a corner area. The child then threw a fireball on Krankall's face. After lighting up Krankall, the 8-year-old ran away but watched from a distance while he burned.
Kayla Deegan, Krankall's older sister, told NBC New York that this kid somehow found gasoline, lighters, and tennis balls in a shed nearby. The children were left unattended by the adults and went on to play with the dangerous items by dousing the balls with gasoline.
"Mommy, they lit me on fire!"
Krankall screamed for his mom and said that he was put on fire. He was taken to the Bridgeport Hospital, where the medical team said he would recover. The local police have launched an investigation into the incident, but no charges have been laid out as of press time.
On a GoFundMe page, Deegan revealed that this was not the first bullying attack endured by Krankall. The 8-year-old who lived downstairs from the victim's family has a "history of bullying." Two months before the burning incident, the 8-year-old pushed Krankall, who hit a wall and fell to the floor.
"The mother thinks he is innocent," Deegan said. "The family thinks it's a joke."
Krankall has expressed to his mother and sister that he no longer wants to return to their Bridgeport home once he recovers from his burn wounds. Thus, the fundraiser will help the family look for a new house and start a better life. More than 3,000 people have donated to the fundraiser, which has eclipsed $170,000 to date.
Dominic Krankall's Mother to Blame?
However, Laura Giacobbe, the mother of the 8-year-old, told ABC 7 New York that Maria Rua, Krankall's mother, neglected to watch their boys. Giacobbe said that she asked Rua to look after the kids while she went out, but Rua was nowhere to be found when the kids got hold of the gasoline and lighters.
Giacobbe also denied that her child was bullying Krankall. She pointed out that if this were true, Rua would not have allowed her son out of her sight if the bully was around.
Meanwhile, the police are reviewing the security cameras around the property as part of the incident was allegedly caught on the video.
Aaron Krankall, the victim's father, said that he will not stop seeking justice for his son until the other child "gets put away." The father said that his son and the other kids often play outside, and then someone gets tripped, pushed, or hurt. However, this time, the family claims the other boy intended to harm Krankall.
