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Woman Sets Herself on Fire After Losing Custody of Kids, Report Says

By Alexandra Leon | January 16, 2017 2:56pm

BROOKLYN — An emotionally disturbed woman set herself on fire on a Downtown Brooklyn sidewalk after losing custody of her children, according to police and reports.

The unidentified 27-year-old had just dropped her kids off at a foster care center at 66 Boerum Pl. Friday when she doused her clothing with a flammable liquid and set herself ablaze, according to police and the New York Daily News.

The woman suffered severe burns to her face and was taken to New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Hospital in critical condition, police said.

A security guard who tried to stamp out the flames suffered burns to his hands and a passerby was treated for smoke inhalation, the paper reported.

Police responded to the scene just before 5 p.m., an NYPD spokesman said.

The Administration for Children’s Services did not say why the woman lost custody of her children. 

“Every day ACS and our contracted staff continue engaging families, including those dealing with deeply emotional issues,” an ACS spokesman said in a statement. “We are troubled by this incident and will assist the NYPD in any relevant investigation.”

A spokeswoman for the foster care center, St. Vincent's Services, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.