Local News

MIAMI (CBS4) ― The woman who walked into the Mall of the Americas last week and set herself on fire has died. Miami Dade Police confirmed her death Tuesday evening.

CBS4 learned that the 42-year-old woman in last Thursday's incident at the mall had a troubled past. Documents released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office show that Casals, of North Miami Beach, was charged in February 2004 with trying to kill her boyfriend after learning he had a wife in Cuba.

Casals was also put on two years' probation in April 2008 after a conviction for felony drug trafficking.

Records show Casals was charged with Attempted Murder with a weapon after an incident that occurred when she and the boyfriend she was living with were riding in a car in Hialeah. Casals reportedly pulled a knife from her purse, placed it on her boyfriend's neck and said she was going to kill him.

Then she reportedly slashed his neck. When he tried to defend himself, his hands were cut. Records show he jumped out of their car and yelled for help. She then tried to run him over. He was not hit by the car but Casals did destroy some landscaping.

The boyfriend later said he was still in love with Casals and did not want to pursue charges. So they were dropped.

Records also show Casals was convicted of felony drug trafficking in April 2008 after signing for a shipment containing more than $250,000 in prescription drugs. She was placed on one year of house arrest and two years probation.

The new information followed CBS4's report Thursday night that her current husband said she has a history of mental problems and went to Jackson Memorial Hospital three times recently for psychiatric help.

The Mall was closed Thursday, but reopened Friday following the apparent suicide attempt, according to Miami-Dade fire officials.

She had been in critical condition at Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital ever since.


Casals walked into Savage Boutique at about 3 p.m. and appeared to be drenched in gasoline when she lit herself on fire, then walked around engulfed in flames as shocked shoppers watched, authorities said.

The woman's husband told CBS4 he did not know why his wife set herself on fire, but he did give this revealing bit of information: he said their oldest daughter worked at Savage Boutique.

He also said they have a 4-year old daughter as well.

Eyewitness told CBS4 News they thought it resembled something out of a movie. Three people were also injured trying to rescue her.

"It looked like a big fireball," said John Torres, who injured his hand as he broke open a glass case to grab the fire extinguisher.

"I know she lost all her clothing."

Witness Jose Morales described what he saw. "Whatever she threw on herself, it looked like movie, Hollywood stunt stuff," he said. "She kept on walking not screaming, not nothing."

Morales was about to pay for earrings for his girlfriend at a nearby kiosk when he heard screams and thought someone had fallen.

"This woman is just walking like this, super slow, completely on fire," Morales said, his arms stretched out at his side to show what the woman looked like as she walked out of the store. "You couldn't see nothing but fire."

Meanwhile, mall officials said fire and police officials forced them to shut down the mall for the remainder of the day.

A Good Samaritan pushed the woman to the ground in an attempt to extinguish the fire. Two other people used fire extinguishers to help. After the fire was out, Casals walked out of the mall and into the parking lot where firefighters found her with third-degree burns on more than 75 percent of her body. Police and fire officials are looking into a motive.

CBS4.COM's Jasmine Kripalani contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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