bloodrayne
02-26-2004, 03:01 PM
Woman Burns to Death in Apparent Ritual Gone Wrong
A woman was found dead tonight in a Bronx apartment badly burned, and police believe it was the tragic result of a religious ritual turned deadly.
A freak accident on North Street by Grand Avenue has claimed one woman's life, and left another hospitalized. Police believe they were engaged in a ritual, the apartment was lit with candles.
For several hours police had no idea what exactly caused the fire that took the life of a 41-year-old woman, and they searched the area for a possible killer on the loose.
But in the end it appears it was some kind of horrible accident, a spiritual exercise gone wrong.
Jose Jimenez, Building Maintenance: "The lady was in the bathtub, and she was pouring maybe some kind of cleansing on her, with alcohol or something.... And the same time she was pouring it, it looked like she (was using a candle) to bless her or something. And some way or another the alcohol jumped on top of her, jumped on top of the candle, the candle ... just lit her up."
According to police the resident of apartment 2C, a 62-year-old woman, was performing a sort of cleansing ritual on a 41-year-old woman, dousing her with special water which is also flammable. They were in the bathroom, candles were lit, and in a flash the younger woman who was unclothed caught on fire.
Officials say she ran into the kitchen, collapsed, and died.
The older woman who was taken to the hospital had burns on her hands.
Neighbors are insisting this was no devil worship.
We're told the victim may have been suffering from some sort of physical ailment, and came here seeking a miraculous healing.
A woman was found dead tonight in a Bronx apartment badly burned, and police believe it was the tragic result of a religious ritual turned deadly.
A freak accident on North Street by Grand Avenue has claimed one woman's life, and left another hospitalized. Police believe they were engaged in a ritual, the apartment was lit with candles.
For several hours police had no idea what exactly caused the fire that took the life of a 41-year-old woman, and they searched the area for a possible killer on the loose.
But in the end it appears it was some kind of horrible accident, a spiritual exercise gone wrong.
Jose Jimenez, Building Maintenance: "The lady was in the bathtub, and she was pouring maybe some kind of cleansing on her, with alcohol or something.... And the same time she was pouring it, it looked like she (was using a candle) to bless her or something. And some way or another the alcohol jumped on top of her, jumped on top of the candle, the candle ... just lit her up."
According to police the resident of apartment 2C, a 62-year-old woman, was performing a sort of cleansing ritual on a 41-year-old woman, dousing her with special water which is also flammable. They were in the bathroom, candles were lit, and in a flash the younger woman who was unclothed caught on fire.
Officials say she ran into the kitchen, collapsed, and died.
The older woman who was taken to the hospital had burns on her hands.
Neighbors are insisting this was no devil worship.
We're told the victim may have been suffering from some sort of physical ailment, and came here seeking a miraculous healing.