Man doused with gasoline, set on fire

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A 44-year-old-man remains in critical condition Wednesday after being doused with gasoline and set on fire.

Darrell Brackett is currently at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He suffered severe burns on 75 percent of his body, from his head to his thighs.

"This is my only son," said Bridgett Brackett, the victim's mother. "He wasn't bothering anyone. He was only minding his business," she added, fighting back tears.

Brackett's family said Darrell walked to a gas station along Northwest 27th Avenue and 47th Street when his car ran out of gas Christmas night. After filling up a can, three men allegedly chased him to the median, where they doused Brackett in gas and set him on fire.

Bridgett said a woman tried to help her son. "He told the lady, the lady who helped him, 'They didn't have to do this to me,'" she said.

Darrell never made it back to his car, where his girlfriend was waiting. Hours later, Bridgett discovered her son was in the hospital in a medically-induced coma.

"Right now, I'm walking on faith," Bridgett said. While she is counting on a higher power that Darrel will make a full recovery, she is also counting on someone doing the right thing and calling in a tip. "What if this were your family? This is a human being, this is not an animal," she said.

Police are currently investigating this attack as a case of possible attempted murder.

If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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