Wisconsin woman sprayed with lighter fluid, burned by lighter in suspected hate crime: police
MADISON, Wis. — An 18-year-old biracial woman was burned with lighter fluid in an assault in Madison, Wisconsin, early Wednesday, according to a police report.
The woman, identified by news site Madison 365 as local EMT Althea Bernstein, was stopped at a red light at about 1 a.m. Wednesday when she was attacked by what she told police were four white men.
According to a report from Madison police, Bernstein heard someone yell a racial epithet at her. Through her open driver's window, one of the men then used a spray bottle to put a liquid on her face and neck — and threw a flaming lighter at her, causing the liquid to ignite.
Bernstein told police that she patted out the flames and drove home. Her mother encouraged her to go to the hospital, where staff said they believed the liquid to be lighter fluid.
Bernstein was treated for burns and will need additional medical care.
Wisconsin
An 18 y/o black woman was SET ON FIRE yesterday by 4 WHITE MEN who approached her car at a stoplight screaming racial slurs at her before throwing lighter fluid and a match in her face.
She suffers from THIRD DEGREE BURNS to her body.
SAY HER NAME: ALTHEA BERNSTEIN pic.twitter.com/b44LReZ7cx— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) June 25, 2020
A call by The Associated Press to Bernstein's home was referred to Michael Johnson, president of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County. Johnson released a statement from Bernstein's family that said they were “saddened at what happened to Althea and the unprovoked attack on her body. At this time, our family is asking everyone to respect our privacy as Althea is recovering from the burns on her face and neck.”
The incident came just hours after protesters smashed windows and tore down two statues at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The same night, Democratic state Sen. Tim Carpenter was assaulted after filming the protesters.
Police did not say whether the attack on Bernstein was linked to the protests or outside agitators, but Bernstein told Madison 365 that two of the men involved were wearing "jeans and a floral shirt."
Members of the far-right movement known as the Boogaloo are known for wearing Hawaiian shirts. The group's intentions are unclear, with some members seemingly determined to protect protesters and others hoping to provoke violence.
Police said they were investigating the assault as a hate crime.
Bernstein did not respond to a request by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for an interview Thursday.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Biracial Wisconsin woman burned by lighter fluid: possible hate crime
