What's New
A 20-year-old North Carolina woman sustained 3rd-degree burns over 70 percent of her body after suspects poured gasoline on her and set her on fire with a cigarette.
Newsweek has contacted the Harnett County Sheriff's Office by email for comment.
The Context
On December 16 around 6:55 p.m., the Harnett County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from a staff member at Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford regarding a burn victim suffering from second and third-degree burns on the right side of her body, Sheriff Wayne Coats announced Monday on Facebook.
Upon arrival at the hospital, law enforcement learned that Ashanti Downey had been walking Davis along Highway 27 toward a Dollar General when three unknown people approached her from behind, poured gasoline on her, and set her on fire.
As of Monday, no witnesses of this incident have been located and officials have not received any more information from the public, Coats said.
The news about Downey's attack comes days after Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, 33, was taken into police custody for allegedly setting a woman on fire on the New York City subway on December 22. The unidentified woman died from her injuries a day later.
What To Know
Downey's mother, Donecia Davis, created a GoFundMe for her daughter's medical expenses. At the time of publication, the fundraiser has received over $25,000 towards its $75,000 goal.
Davis wrote that Downey has sustained third-degree burns over 70 percent of her body and will be undergoing a third surgery.
"My daughter will be celebrating her 21st birthday on January 1, 2025, and due to the hatred of an individual or individuals, her life will be forever changed," Davis wrote. "No parent should have to see their child in the condition my daughter is in. I am making her my top priority and have been by her side at the hospital since this incident occurred."
Newsweek has contacted Davis through GoFundMe for comment.
What People Are Saying
Donecia Davis in an update Wednesday on GoFundMe: "Please continue to pray for us all during this difficult time. She is strong and is continuing to fight each day. May God continue to bless each one of you."
Kimberly Callahan, a $100 donor to Downey's GoFundMe: "Many prayers for Ashanti."
Coats told WRAL News this was one of the most heinous crimes his department has ever seen. "It's just a nightmare for this family. It could have been domestic-related. It could have been a gang initiation. We're mystified by what's happened."
What Happens Next
Investigators are working to determine a movie behind the attack.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Ronald Beasley at 910-893-0151, the Harnett County Sheriff's Office at 910-893-9111 or the Tip Line at 910-893-0300.
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