Miami

Young Girl Burned While Playing With Lighter in Florida City: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Authorities are investigating after a young girl burned herself while playing with a lighter in Florida City Tuesday afternoon.

The incident happened at a home in the area of Southwest 2nd Street and 8th Avenue.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said the girl, who is about 8, was playing with the lighter when her clothes caught fire. She ran out of her house and a neighbor was able to hose her down.

Neighbors said the girl suffered burns on her inner arm and torso. She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where her condition was unknown.

"She was just screaming she wanted to die," neighbor AnnaBelle Garza said. "She wanted to die she was in so much pain. She was burning, burning, burning."

A friend of the family told NBC 6 that she was with the girl's mother and they had left her and her two siblings while they did laundry. The friend said they were gone about 10 minutes.

The other children weren't injured.

Police detained the girl's mother, 27-year-old Heydi Teresa Soledad-Triminio, at the scene. She was later booked into Miami-Dade jail on child neglect and culpable negligence charges.

Triminio was released early Wednesday on $8,000 bond, records showed. She is expected to appear in court Wednesday afternoon. It was unknown if she has hired an attorney.

"The mother was not here. We're still conducting the investigation," Florida City Police spokesman Ken Armenteros said. "We're still collecting all the facts."

Officials with the Department of Children and Families said they are also investigating and added that they are sheltering the three children.

At the family's home late Tuesday, Triminio's husband, Ernesto Balerio, said he was in emotional pain. He said his wife didn't abandon the children and didn't think any of them would be hurt.

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