Police: Man Lit 3-Year-Old Niece On Fire

AURORA, Ill. (STNG) ― A 17-year-old west suburban man was held on $3 million bail Wednesday after being charged with attempted murder and several other felonies for allegedly spraying his 3-year-old niece with lighter fluid and setting her on fire.

Raymundo Herrera of the 1200 block of Grove Street in Aurora was charged Wednesday with two counts of attempted murder and one count each of heinous battery, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery, according to a release from the Kane County State's Attorney's office.

All of the charges are felonies, with the attempted murder and heinous battery charges being Class X felonies which call for extended prison terms upon conviction.

Judge James Murphy set bond for Herrera at $3 million during a Wednesday hearing, according to Kane County State's Attorney's office spokesman Chris Nelson. He will appear for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 21 before Judge Thomas Mueller.

Just after 7 p.m. Monday, Aurora police and paramedics responded to Herrera's home and learned that the child had been upstairs with him. After a short amount of time, she came running downstairs with her clothing on fire, the release said.

Two of the girl's female relatives, ages 19 and 50, extinguished the flames and called 911. It was at that time that Herrera left the home, but was found by family members walking in the neighborhood shortly after the incident, the release said. The family members brought him back to the scene.

Herrera was apparently upset that the child interrupted him when he was listening to music, so he allegedly sprayed lighter fluid on her and lit her on fire, the release said. The girl suffered third-degree burns over 18 percent of her body and remains at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

Aurora Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Kane County Child Advocacy Center and the state Department of Children and Family Services are assisting in the investigation.