Brooklyn mother set on fire in disturbing attack in front of child, police sources say

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Man who allegedly set estranged wife on fire had previously shot at her

FOX 5 NY's Kelly Kennedy reports that Kenneth Richenbacher, now accused of setting his estranged wife on fire, had previously shot at her back in 2015.

A Brooklyn woman is hospitalized after her estranged husband allegedly set her on fire inside her apartment. 

Woman lit on fire in NYCHA apartment

What we know:

Police said the disturbing attack happened Saturday at the Kingsborough Houses, a NYCHA complex in Crown Heights. 

Officers found the 38-year-old woman with burns on her body after getting called to an apartment at around 5 p.m. She was rushed to the hospital in stable condition. 

According to FOX 5 NY police sources, the woman's husband threw some type of accelerant on her and then lit her on fire.

The couple's 11-year-old daughter witnessed the attack, sources said.

Suspect's criminal past

Dig deeper:

Kenneth Rickenbacher, 44, was charged with attempted murder, three counts of assault, two counts of arson, criminal mischief and acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17. 

Law enforcement sources said Richenbacher and his wife are estranged. 

Rickenbacher has a criminal record involving domestic violence against his wife. The police chief in Monticello, New York, said Rickenbacher was sentenced to nine years in prison for a felony gun charge after shooting at his wife and their then-two-week-old daughter in 2015. 

He has a prior conviction for drugs out of Suffolk County in 2007. 

What we don't know:

Police have not released the names of the woman or child at this time. 

The Source: This story was written with information and statements from the NYPD's Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI), and FOX 5 NY police sources. 

BrooklynCrown HeightsCrime and Public Safety