Kansas Woman Set On Fire After Being Raped And Beaten In Wichita Park

A Kansas woman who was beaten, raped and set on fire in a Wichita park last Friday, was in critical condition Monday, with burns all over her body and cuts to her head.

For the Kansas woman who was set on fire, police say the woman had been sexually assaulted, hit on the head and was naked before she was set on fire in the park.

Investigators have been unable to interview the victim at the hospital due to her medication and condition, but the Wichita woman gave a very brief description of her assailant at the scene, said police Lt. James Espinoza.

She was only able to describe that the assailant as a black man.

Firefighters who were originally responding to a grass fire found the 36-year-old woman with severe burns over 55 percent of her body and cuts on her head. The attack happened sometime between 10:50 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. Friday at Fairmount Park, Wichita, Kansas.

“It is a very heinous act, very cruel,” Espinoza said.

It is now reported that a $2,500 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Wichita Crime Commissioner Gordon Bassham discussed the $2,500 award being offered by Crime Stoppers, reported KWCH12.

“We have monsters among us,” Bassham said as he pleaded for anyone that had insight on the case to call in. Bassham hopes the reward will help, saying they have led to arrests in important cases in the past.

Deon McPherson, a 40-year-old building maintenance worker, was the man who helped save the woman in the fire. McPherson said his girlfriend woke him up after hearing someone shrieking and crying for help just outside their apartment.

McPherson upon seeing the horrific sight, a woman engulfed in flames, he didn’t hesitate before running straight into the “ring of fire” to help the woman, who was barely moving, trying to crawl out of the flames.

“What if that was my daughter? I’d want somebody to go in and get her,” McPherson told The Blaze.

The fire was bigger than he expected and was only able to keep himself and the woman out of the moving flames until the fire rescue crew arrived.

The woman’s family is horrified but are hoping that they can find the assailant.

“We just would hope that if anyone saw anything, if they would just come forward. We don’t want this to happen to another innocent person. The victim is a mother to four beautiful children and is a very loving and caring person.”

People in the community are terrified. Cierra Bethea has lived near the park for 8 years, she says this unthinkable crime makes her want to move.

“It kind of makes me feel uncomfortable just living over here now. To know that I’m not safe anymore. That somebody could come do this and we have a lot of kids that live around here.”

Brody Wellman told KAKE-TV: “It’s an outrage. This someone has to be held accountable for this. It’s beyond words. I can’t describe how disturbing it’s been.”

In a previous report by the Inquisitr, another Wichita woman caught a burglar in her home eating cookie dough that he took from her freezer.

At the moment there are no clear suspects and investigators are looking for what happened prior that night to find any leads. The victim is still currently under care in the hospital and her family hopes for her quick recovery.