Facebook screenshot Jeremiah Caldwell,5, set on fire family says, by a boy, 9 or 10, in their Flint, Michigan neighborhood.
Weeks ago, Jeremiah Caldwell’s grandfather alleged a white boy set his grandson on fire. Police have not confirmed that account and local reports in Flint have yet to confirm exactly what happened. But Caldwell, 5, is in critical condition and, his mother said, is not breathing on his own.
Caldwell’s mother Alissa Mauws told local Michigan media that her little boy was “allegedly lit on fire Tuesday afternoon by a 9-year-old child who lives in their neighborhood.”
Mauws told a reporter, that she was at church on Tuesday afternoon when her 15-year-old child rushed in to say, “Mom, Jeremiah is on fire …” She said she flew to her boy and found him “on the sidewalk and he was burned real bad with a towel over him. We got to the hospital I asked him …he said (a boy) lit the fire and threw it on him.”
But Vance Hanson, Caldwell’s grandfather, took to Facebook to say what he alleges occurred and to ask for prayers.
“…a lil white boy set him on fire May 1st he is in bad bad shape u all know I’m not racist but this shit is impossible to swallow he is one of the most polite lil person u could ever meet in the world teachers pastors police all came out to see him cause they just couldn’t believe it happened to him he told his mom don’t cry cause god’s got him that was so awesome I love u grandson and u already know that god does 2 please pray 4 him amen …”
Hanson wrote that people who know him know that he’s “not racist at all …we have all different nationalities in our family,” but questions why a white boy, he alleges, would set his grandson on fire. He said Jeremiah is the “most respectful lil person u could ever want to meet. He told his mom, ‘don’t cry I’m going to be OK cause god’s got…'” him before he was sedated. “…strong as a bull (but) gentle as a lamb … please pray 4 him thank u and amen.”
But Hanson has now said he was mistaken:
“GM FBI as u all know I’m a grown ass man I want to apologize to everyone about my grandson we found out that what happened was his own careness a neighbor had cameras on their house and it shows that the lil white boy had nothing to do with his burning so by me being the man I am I sincerely apologize it was all his own fault but thanks 4 the prayers from everyone and he is doing much better.”
According to Michigan Live, police are being tight-lipped. They have not provided any information on what happened.
Originally a call came in and firefighters responded to a structure fire at the address but arrived to find no fire, but the child was badly burned.
Flint mother of 7 says her youngest son Jeremiah, was critically burned. She blames a neighbor child for the incident but police aren’t confirming that. @nbc25fox66
According to reports, it’s “being investigated by the Flint Major Crimes Unit, consisting of Flint police and Michigan State Police investigators.”
A Heavy email looking for comment or information was not immediately returned.