Brooklyn mother set on fire in disturbing attack in front of child, police sources say
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.
NEW YORK - 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.