“She was burned on 99 percent of her body. The only two places on her body that weren’t burned were the soles of her feet and one part of her ankle,” said the Broward Assistant State Attorney, Alix Buckelew.
A woman is in critical condition with burns over her entire body after being set on fire by her boyfriend, sheriff’s officials said. Noe Jimenez-Cortes, 40, was charged with attempted murder and arson for the gruesome attack, and was held without bond in the Broward County Jail, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
Broward Sheriff’s deputies located the severely burned woman located in the Lauderdale Mobile Home Park on Monday. Despite her injuries, the woman was able to explain that her boyfriend intentionally set her on fire, according to authorities, reported the news outlet.
"A preliminary investigation revealed that Jimenez-Cortes poured an accelerant on the victim’s body and ignited the fire with a cigarette," the Broward County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
Police learned of the attack after a neighbor called 911 to report a woman’s cries for help. The caller reported to police that he did not want to open his door but saw the tragedy unfolding through a window. He told operators that “a lady is screaming outside her house like crazy,” and that she was “burnt." He continued to tell the dispatcher that he heard her saying that "she can't walk," and then reported that "the woman was quiet," the Sun-Sentinel reported.
It was reported that another neighbor said she heard the victim claim she was dying and pleading for someone to call the police, reported People Magazine.
The suspect had fled by the time deputies arrived at the scene.
At a bond hearing on Tuesday, Assistant State Attorney Alix Buckelew said the victim’s condition was grave.
”I think the court should know that the doctors do not expect this victim to survive her injuries,” said Buckelew, reported the Sun-Sentinel. “She was burned on 99% of her body. The only two places on her body that weren’t burned were the soles of her feet and one part of her ankle.”
Buckelew said in court that investigators have surveillance video of the incident, according to the newspaper.
A news release stated that Jimenez-Cortes was taken into police custody without incident Monday evening in North Lauderdale.
Detectives later learned he had been planning to leave the state.
“He did have a bus ticket to Mexico,” said the Assistant State Attorney, reported People.
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