In one of the most horrific instances of bullying I’ve seen in recent memory, a disabled 13-year-old boy from Staten Island suffered horrible burns when a so-called friend sprayed him with a flaming bottle of perfume and then threw it at him. Incredibly, the teenage firebug is back on the streets for now.
Deandre Bloomfield has been the target of jeers for most of his life because he was born with uneven limbs. According to his mother, Ursula Allen, the kids in his neighborhood frequently call him “Limpy” because he can’t run. However, one particularly outrageous act of bullying crossed the line into criminal assault–and landed Deandre in Staten Island University Hospital.
Last Wednesday, Deandre was hanging out at a community center near the West Brighton Houses when another teen whom he believed to be his friend invited him to his apartment on Henderson Avenue. It started out well. However, while the two boys were listening to music, the other teenager revealed that he really intended to take advantage of Deandre because he was disabled. Deandre told the (New York) Daily News that his “friend” smacked him. Deandre sensed there was trouble, so he got up to leave.
At that point, the other teen grabbed a perfume bottle, lit it with a cigarette lighter, and sprayed it on Deandre. When Deandre saw it sparking on him, he tried to run away. The assailant, well aware that he was disabled and couldn’t run fast, then threw the bottle at Deandre and set his clothes ablaze. Deandre jumped into a wall, and rolled on the ground to smother the flames.
Now here’s where this story really gets hideous. The other teen’s mother and sister were in another room when Deandre was attacked. Incredibly, they didn’t call 911 immediately, even though it was obvious that Deandre was gravely injured. Allen said that the mother and sister put Deandre in the shower, which actually made things even worse. They also changed his clothes. It took them two hours to call for help.
Deandre suffered third-degree burns to his chest and neck, and second-degree burns to his face. The assailant was arrested on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. For now, anyway, his case is being handled in New York City’s family court. To pile obscenity on top of insult and injury, this little monster has already been released from custody. Frankly, that doesn’t sit well with me. Anyone who inflicts this kind of horrible injury on anyone doesn’t need to be out on the streets before trial. But when the victim is a disabled child? I can’t even. Allen thinks that the attacker’s mother and sister need to be brought up on criminal charges as well. Her message to those two–“Shame on you.”
Deandre is due to get out of the hospital within a week. However, Allen believes the emotional damage won’t heal for a long time, if ever. She says that Deandre has been “crying with nightmares” in his hospital bed every night. Hopefully he doesn’t know that the monster who did this to him is back on the streets. This is yet another example of how the criminal justice system gives disabled people and people with special needs the shaft. It cannot be repeated enough–this kid should not be out on the streets of Staten Island right now. Period, full stop.
Allen has started a GoFundMe campaign to help fund her son’s medical expenses. Click here to donate.
