Oct 13, 2009 11:25 pm US/Eastern
Teen Charged With Attempted Murder In Burn Attack
One Of Two Additional Teens Charged
5 Teens Now Face Charges In Torching Of Michael Brewer
DEERFIELD BEACH (CBS4) ―
A 15-year-old boy faces attempted murder charges, and four other teens have been charged with various crimes after the group intentionally set a boy on fire in an argument that started over a video game. The crime stunned both law enforcement and the South Florida community at large.
15-year-old Jesus Mendez was charged with attempted second degree murder Tuesday afternoon, while the four other teens now face charges of aggravated battery. CBS4 is not identifying those teens at this time. All five have been charged as juveniles.
The teens have been accused of dousing 15-year-old Michael Brewer with rubbing alcohol Monday afternoon and setting him on fire as he sat by the pool at the Lime Tree Village apartments in Deerfield Beach.
"One of the more horrific crimes I have been associated with since I've been with BSO. It's just a horrible, horrible case," said Sgt. Steve Feeley of the Broward Sheriff's Office.
"It doesn't reflect very well on our community or our society," said BSO Sheriff Al Lamberti.
Four of the suspects are 15, and the fifth is a 13-year-old boy. All are accused of setting Brewer on fire.
According to BSO, one of the juvenile suspects, the alleged ringleader, was owed money by Brewer for a video game. The ringleader allegedly stole Brewer's father's bike as payment, but was caught on Sunday.
Officers arrested the ringleader on Sunday, but he was later released into his parent's custody later. Monday, the five suspects allegedly surrounded Brewer when the ringleader said, "pour it on him, pour it on him," according to Sgt. Feeley.
One of the suspects allegedly poured alcohol on Brewer, and then Mendez allegedly used a lighter to set Brewer on fire, according to the BSO. The lighter was found by Broward Sheriff's Deputies at the scene of the crime.
Brewer's sister Malissa Durkee said she knows the teens who are under arrest.
"I've seen all of those kids," Durkee said. "I've met all of those kids that did that and it just tears me up to know that they would hurt my brother like that."
CBS 4 News contacted parents of several of the teens arrested Tuesday. Two of them declined to speak with us about the charges against their children.
Patricia Hollis's son is one of the teens accused in the attack. A police report says that her son helped surround Brewer. CBS 4's Carey Codd interviewed Hollis on Tuesday afternoon. This is a portion of their exchange:
HOLLIS: "I feel so sorry for (Michael Brewer), I really do. And it's sad. It really is."
CODD: "As far as your son's involvement?"
HOLLIS: "That's sad too. For him to even be in an atomosphere like that."
CODD: "Did he have anything to dow with it?"
HOLLIS: "As far as I know, no he didn't. Wrong place at the wrong time."
Sgt. Feeley also told police that two of the teens laughed about the incident after they were arrested on Monday.
"A couple of them last night were laughing about it," Feeley said. "One of them arrested today seemed genuinely sorry for what he did, realizing what a tragic mistake he made."
Knowing that two of the teens made light of what happened to Brewer incensed Danny Martinez, Brewer's brother-in-law.
"It's bad to feel hatred for other people but what they did, they could have stopped," Martinez said. "They were 5 kids. One of them could have said, hey no, don't do this. They didn't. They all just went and did this. For them, it was just a laugh but for Michael it's gonna be a lifetime."
Durkee said doctors are trying to make her brother as comfortable as possible. She also said the family is getting a positive sign -- every time Michael hears his mother's voice, his eyes open.
"It's a sign of I'm a survivor," Durkee said through tears, "Saying, 'Mom I'm gonna make it through this and I'm gonna be back and I'm gonna be the Michael that I am.'"
A neighbor heard his screams for help and put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, said Malissa Durkee, Brewer's sister. The teen then ripped off his shirt and jumped into the pool.
Neighbor Jennifer Nielsen, a former lifeguard, heard Michael's screams and ran outside to help. She said she comforted Michael as he screamed in agony.
"I was like who did this to you? What happened?" she said. "He said someone threw something on me. He couldn't even say liquid. He said someone threw something on me, so it was a surprise attack."
Brewer's mother, Valerie, told CBS4's Carey Codd, "We just don't understand why anyone would do this."
Nielsen said Brewer's top layer of skin was peeling off; his eyebrows were gone as was the hair on the right side of his head. Family members said most of his hair, including his eyelashes, had been burned off.
"I'm still shaken up," Neilsen said. "But I'm happy I was there for that child. I just want that child to be ok."
Brewer was airlifted to Broward General Medical Center and then moved to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. The pain of the burns was so intense that he was placed on a medically-induced coma.
Monday night, the suspects were in custody and at least two of them were laughing about the burning of Brewer. Mendez showed remorse for the crime, according to Sgt. Feeley. BSO deputies were able to find the suspects with the help of witnesses, who said they were afraid of the ringleader.
According to BSO, all five of the suspects have had run-ins with the law before. Some of the suspects have reportedly confessed to the crime, according to Sgt. Feeley.
"The victim will be in hospital for five months. He has second degree burns over 80 percent of body. He's in for a long, long recovery," said Sheriff Lamberti.
"At any age treating very large burns is a huge challenge. It can involve months and months of treatment. And months and months for the victim to recover. It is a long, long process. The real problem is the impact these burns have on the rest of the body," Dr. Nicholas Namias, medical director of the burn center at JMH.
Lamberti said the violence amongst kids is confounding him and other leaders. "The violence in our schools need to stop. I don't know what the answer is. As parents and leaders we need to do a better job teaching our kids right from wrong," Lamberti said.
CBS4's Neighbors 4 Neighbors will be taking in donations through the Family Fund for Michael Brewer. Go to
cbs4.com/neighbors to make online donations; or call 305-597-4404.
CBS4'S Ted Scouten, Carey Codd, and Peter D'Oench contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Burned Teen's Family Staying Positive
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