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BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) – The parents of a boy severely burned in Bridgeport say the incident was the result of bullying.
Bridgeport police officers were dispatched to a multi-family home on Louisiana Avenue just before 4 p.m. Sunday on the report of a child burned. The child was transported to the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital.
The video above is from a previous newscast.
“Preliminary reports indicate that up to four unattended children were seen playing with gasoline and lighting objects on fire,” Bridgeport police said.
The video above is from a previous newscast.
Maria Rua told News 8 her 6-year-old son, Dominick Krankall, was the victim of bullying. WABC reported Krankall was playing in the backyard with the eight and 11-year-old sons of one of the families residing in the home Louisiana Avenue.
Rua told News 8, in part:
“My son has been bullied by this child for a year. 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.”
Krankall suffered second and third degree burns to his face and leg, according to his mother.
“His face is about twice the size it normally is,” Rua said Tuesday. “He’s swollen with blisters. You can’t even see his beautiful eyes anymore.”
Rua said her son will be in the hospital for a few more days. She said it is hard to see her little boy in pain.
“He’s a strong boy though, he’s coping,” Rua said. “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.”
Rua said her son should make a full recovery and have minimal scarring.
On Wednesday, WABC spoke with Dominick’s father, Aaron Krankall, who said, “My 6-year-old son looked at me and he said, ‘Daddy, he poured gasoline on a ball and he threw it directly into my face and he caught my face on fire with a fireball.'”
WABC also spoke with tenant Laura Giacobbe and she claims Dominick’s mother was supposed to keep an eye on the kids.
“She neglected these children outside. She neglected them. If your child is being bullied, would you leave your child out with somebody being bullied? That’s the question,” Giacobbe told WABC.
WABC also reported that according to Dominick’s father, the boy suffered a concussion last month after being pushed by the same eight-year-old child.
“The incident is currently still under investigation as to the exact cause of the burn injuries by the Bridgeport Police, Bridgeport Fire and State Fire Investigation Teams,” a statement from Bridgeport police said Tuesday.
According to WABC’s reporting, a security camera overlooks that backyard and part of the incident was captured on surveillance footage that police are reviewing.
Editor’s Note: The image below may be disturbing to some viewers.
Viewer discretion is advised.
WARNING: A GoFundMe page set up to help Krankall and his family contains graphic images that may be disturbing. Click here to visit the GoFundMe page.
WABC contributed to this report.
