Dominick Krankall, a 6-year-old boy from Connecticut, was hospitalized with severe burns when a neighborhood boy doused a tennis ball with gasoline, lit it up and threw it at Dominick's face. He sustained serious injuries on his face as well as leg.
According to NBC New York, on Sunday when Dominick was playing in his backyard in Bridgeport he was approached by an unnamed 8-year-old boy who bullied Dominick, grabbing hold of gasoline and a lighter from the shed before tempting the child to come near him.
Kayla Deegan, Dominick's sister, told NBC New York that the 8-year-old had previously on many occasions bullied her brother and this was an intentional act. "As soon as he walked down the stairs, the bully called his name and lured him over around the corner, in a matter of seconds he came back around the corner screaming, saying, 'Mummy, they lit me on fire! They lit me on fire!'"
Describing the incident she said, "what he did was pour gasoline on a tennis ball, took a lighter, lit it up and just chucked it right at my brother's face — and then ran away from him and watched him burn." Added later that two months ago "under the bully's mother's supervision, he was pushed into a wall and fell to the floor. And again, the mother refuses to admit her kid did it."
Maria Rua, Dominick's mother, is grateful that her son is alive, telling the WTNH, a television station of Connecticut, "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."
Dominick's family has set up a GoFundMe to seek help in his recovery, arranged by Kayla the page reads, "my little brother Dom has been bullied for a while by the tenants downstairs. It escalated to a deadly intent. Dominick, MY 6-YEAR-OLD BROTHER could've died. The kid covered a ball in gasoline, lit it on fire, and threw it at him. All in the matter of SECONDS. Dom has second and third degree burns on his face and leg. He's going to be scarred for life mentally and physically."
The page described that the unnamed 8-year-old child has a history of bullying with his family taking every incident for granted and thinking of it as a joke. Dominick, who is recovering at the burn unit of the Bridgeport Hospital, is in extreme pain and even after his face swollen up he keeps telling his mother to not take him back home.
Further adding that they are now are looking for help for a new home as it is not safe anymore. "Anything helps, even a share. Thank you all for the support. I'm sure Dominick appreciates it. This is extremely unfair and shouldn't ever happen to ANY CHILD!!! We need justice for our little Dominick."
Kayla later updated the information on the page, saying her brother is now doing better. Calling Dominick, "the bravest 6-year-old and all he ever wanted to do was ride his bike, play basketball, and go fishing."
"Now he has to lay in bed for MONTHS until he's even able to walk outside again. It breaks my heart over and over again. My poor baby is in pain every day and there isn't much we can do. Thank you ALL for everything. Sharing, donating, commenting… every little bit helps get his story out," she added.
WNBC reports, even after all this the mother of the unnamed eight-year-old who reportedly threw the gasoline-soaked tennis ball at Dominick continuous to deny any wrongdoing committed by her son. A state police spokesperson, told the WNBC station that the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit is currently investigating the incident alongside the Bridgeport Fire Marshal's Office.
