Brooklyn man sets pregnant girlfriend on fire in front of daughter, judge orders remand without bail

Brooklyn (brooklyn ) A 44-year-old Crown Heights man is suspected of pouring rubbing alcohol on his pregnant girlfriend and setting her on fire at a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartment in front of their 11-year-old daughter last week, causing severe burns all over her body. He is currently in a medically induced coma. The suspect was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court a few days ago and charged with multiple counts, including attempted murder. The judge ruled that he should be remanded in custody without bail. The suspect was arrested in 2015shooting His wife and their two-week old daughter were imprisoned.

The suspect, Kenneth Rickenbacker, had his head and hands covered in bandages when he appeared in court. His lawyer said that his head, hands and lips were burnt. He was charged with attempted murder, three counts of assault, two counts of arson, criminal damage and endangering the welfare of a child under 17. The judge also issued a protection order barring him from contacting the victim and daughter. He will appear in court again on November 2.

Prosecutors said that at about 5 p.m. on the 24th, after an argument with 38-year-old Vanessa Edmonds in an apartment at Kingsborough House, Rickenbacker first threatened the mother and daughter with a knife, then poured disinfectant alcohol on it and set it on fire, and then fled. A parole officer confirmed in court that Edmonds was pregnant. The daughter later told police that her father had threatened to harm her and her mother if she told them the truth. When police arrived, smoke was coming from the apartment, screams were heard and the mattresses inside were burnt.

Edmonds suffered severe burns to his face, shoulders, back and hands and was taken to the Burn and Scald Center at Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan for treatment.

According to prosecutors, Rickenbaker told police that when he went to pick up his daughter from the apartment, Edmonds attacked him with rubbing alcohol on his hands and pushed him while she was smoking, causing her to catch fire. He left the scene after calling 911 and was later arrested when he went to the 113th Police Precinct in Queens to report the incident.

Law enforcement sources described the two as an estranged couple, and the indictment named Edmonds as his girlfriend. According to the police chief of Monticello, New York, Rickenbacker was sentenced to nine years in prison for possession of a gun by a felon following the 2015 shooting. He also had a record of drug conviction in Suffolk County in 2007.

Stephanie McGrath, founder and CEO of domestic violence victim support organization WARM NYC (We All Really Matter), attended the 25th anniversary event of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence on the 27th. He said that this kind of violence against women has been happening for many years. Lawyers are working around the clock to deal with several high-profile domestic violence cases, including that of Nathalie Ramirez last month. Ramirez, whose ex-boyfriend pushed her and her child off a balcony, and Lowe Williams, who was murdered in front of her seven-year-old daughter in September.

He emphasized that “the most dangerous time is when a woman tries to leave.” She also called on the public to be aware of the warning signs of domestic violence and to seek help from organizations like WARM NYC when needed.