911 Call: Burnt Mom Ran for Help to Save Daughter
By LEANNE GENDREAU and DIANA PEREZ
Updated 11:31 PM EST, Wed, Nov 18, 2009
Christina Lee, 35, ran, burned and injured, from her New Haven home on Sunday to save her daughter.
Her fiance, Howard Stewart, 50, is accused of setting Lee and her 12-year-old daughter on fire in their home, and also burning the house and police released the 911 call on Wednesday that sent them to the scene.
-- LISTEN TO THE CALL HERE --
New Haven police call this one of the worst cases of domestic violence they have seen.
“He set my daughter on fire,” Lee says to a neighbor, screaming.
“Please send some help. The girl is burnt, she’s got burn marks all over her,” the neighbor tells 911.
In the background, you can hear Lee say, “My daughter’s upstairs. Oh my God, please help.”
The caller says Lee's baby has been burned, apparently talking about the 3-month-old baby, but Lee was referring to her 12-year-old, who was still in the house.
The dispatcher asked the caller how badly the woman had been burned.
“She’s burnt badly,” the caller said.
Police say Lee suffered burns to about 40 percent of her body. She remains in critical condition.
As the caller gives police a description of Stewart, she notices that the house in on fire and frantically asks that the fire department come.
“Oh Jesus, Lord have mercy,” the caller says.
Police say Stewart intentionally burned the home and also intentionally burned Lee because of an argument that they had the night before about money -- he was not working and the bills were piling up -- and allegations the daughter made, according to court documents.
Stewart was charged with arson in the first-degree, assault in the first-degree, criminal attempt to commit assault, risk of injury and criminal mischief.
Both of Lee's daughters are doing OK and staying with Lee's mother. DCF has been called.
Stewart appeared in court on Monday and is being held on $2 million bond.
First Published: Nov 18, 2009 10:09 AM EST
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