NARANJA, Fla. – A man said his niece was in the hospital on Wednesday getting treated for burns after a homemade bomb exploded in Miami-Dade County.
Juan Alvarez said the teenager was in intensive care. He said he was home Tuesday night in the Naranja neighborhood when he heard a “big” explosion.
6 p.m. report:
“My niece was on fire from the belly on down,” Alvarez said.
A witness described the explosive that injured the girl in the house at the corner of Southwest 270 Street and 143 Place as a Molotov cocktail made out of a Mason jar.
Alvarez said a man threw it at the home. There was a damaged window.
“The fire aimed right at the wall and it just burned all out,” Alvarez said while standing outside the house near damaged clothes and furniture.
The flames burned right through the fabric and foam of a reclinable couch for two. A witness said there were other minors in the house during the arson attack.
The fire also burnt the family’s dog, Bonita.
According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel, firefighters responded to the house at about 10 p.m., and there was an ongoing investigation after a helicopter flew a pediatric trauma patient to the HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.
Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office deputies were also investigating the fire as a possible arson attack.
Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.
Local 10 News Reporter Annaliese Garcia, Photojournalist Lani Yasuk-Carrier, Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos, and Senior Assignment Editor Kelly Davis contributed to this report.