ORLANDO (TCN) — A 27-year-old woman is facing murder and attempted murder charges for allegedly lighting herself and her two young children on fire, killing one of them.
According to an arrest warrant, on Aug. 26 at 6:26 p.m., Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call on Hiawassee Oaks Driveabout a fire involving an adult woman and two children. When deputies arrived, they found the Esther Thelus with burns to 50% to 60% of her body, her 8-month-old son with burns on 80% to 90% of his body, and a 2-year-old with minor burns. Medics transported all three victims to a nearby hospital. Officials wanted to transfer the infant., Davinci Joseph, to another hospital in Gainesville, but he “was not stable enough to transport.”
Joseph died from his injuries on Oct. 25. The warrant says the 2-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.
A detective spoke with Thelus’ roommate, Brunel Hosty, who said on the morning of the incident, Thelus left to drop her 2-year-old son at his father’s house. She apparently wanted to relinquish custody of the boy to his father, Jefferson Mignon, because she had plans to move to Fort Lauderdale with her infant. When Thelus got to Mignon’s house, he and his mother “questioned the legitimacy of the child and suggested Esther Thelus complete a DNA test to prove Jefferson Mignon was the father of the child before he assumed responsibility.”