Florida mom sets herself, 2 young kids on fire: Cops

Esther Thelus buys a gas can moments before setting herself and two young kids on fire in Orlando (WESH/YouTube).

A Florida mother is facing murder and attempted murder charges after she allegedly set herself and her 2-year-old and 8-month-old children on fire. While the 2-year-old survived, the youngest child died some two months after the incident, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a fire involving 26-year-old Esther Thelus, 8-month-old Davinci Joseph and a 2-year-old boy at a home around 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 26 in the 7000 block of Hiawassee Oaks Drive in Orlando. Thelus had burns to over half her body while burns covered 80 to 90% of Davinci’s body, a probable cause arrest affidavit. The 2-year-old suffered minor burns. Paramedics rushed all three to a hospital. While en route, first responders had to resuscitate the baby. Doctors advised they did not expect the child to survive but he fought for two months until he died on Oct. 25, police say.

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Doctors intubated Thelus and she remains at the hospital, cops say. The 2-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.

Detectives discovered Thelus bought a lighter, gas can and gasoline at a nearby 7-Eleven gas station just moments before she set them all ablaze. Earlier in the day, Thelus had dropped off the 2-year-old with the man she said was the father. She told him she and Davinci were moving to Ft. Lauderdale and she no longer wanted to care for the older child because she felt “humiliation.” However, the alleged father refused to care for the child until a DNA test proved the boy belonged to him.

After Thelus returned from the gas station, she gathered the two kids and went outside, her roommate told detectives. The roommate’s daughter walked outside to take out some garbage and was greeted with a horrible sight.

“She’s killing the kids! They are all on fire!” she reportedly exclaimed.

Neighbors used towels to stifle the flames. Thelus’ roommate asked why she did this.

“It’s too much humiliation,” she allegedly said.

Orlando NBC affiliate WESH spoke with the gas station clerk who sold her the gas can and gasoline.

“I kind of have PTSD because I feel bad, and it happened in my store,” she said. “Everything was provided from my store.”

Thelus has a court hearing scheduled for Nov. 12.

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