Man Tried to Burn Baby With Lighter: Witnesses

Police are calling the woman who stopped the attack a hero.

A Bridgeport, Conn., father is in police custody after he tried to burn his 13-month-old son on a city street yesterday afternoon, according to police.

Police said the 28-year-old father appeared to be under the influence of something and a good Samaritan was thankfully close enough when the assault happened to stop him from causing more than minor injuries to the child.

Maribel Lopez said heard the baby crying in the area of Lexington Avenue and Calhoun Street in Bridgeport. At first, she did not think much of it.

“I hear the baby crying, so I don't pay attention because a lot of babies pass with their mother crying,” Lopez said.

But the baby continued to weep and Lopez, a mother of four, noticed some disturbing behavior.
“When I look, he got the baby in the hands. He's hitting the face of the baby. He's hitting his head with the truck,” Lopez said.

She ran downstairs and confronted the man as she called police.

Police said they received the call around 2:45 p.m. and have identified the father as Marvin Williams, 28, of Bridgeport. He is expected to be charged with possession of narcotics, risk of injury to a minor, reckless endangerment and third-degree assault.

“He threw the baby on the floor. He took a lighter and he tried burning the baby,” Lopez said.

She managed to grab the baby and handed him to her daughter.

Officers responded to the scene and the baby was taken to the hospital to be checked out, police said.

Police are calling Lopez a hero. She said she just had to do something.

“I don't know if I'm a hero or not, but it's a baby. I see people passing and doing nothing,” she said.

Police said Williams was under the influence of some substance. He was taken to the hospital as well.

Williams faces a number of charges including risk of injury to a minor and third-degree assault.

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