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St. Paul Teen Gives Horrifying Account Of Being Set On Fire

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- A 19-year-old St. Paul man said that he thought his mother's boyfriend was trying to burn him alive.

Antoine Willis is currently being treated at Regions Hospital in St. Paul for second- and third-degree burns.

He gave his account of the incident at a news conference Friday afternoon.

"All I know is I was asleep and then there was fire on my head when I woke up," said Willis. "I took my shirt off and padded my head down. And then I ran out the back door and he was chasing me with a bottle of fluid and kept spraying it on me."

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Samantha Smith Reports

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Curtis Reed, 54, is charged with setting him on fire after Willis said he broke up an argument between Reed and his mother.

Police say Reed poured lighter fluid on Willis, who was asleep, and then ignited it.

Willis does not have health insurance and he's going to need more hospital care.

For anyone interested in helping Willis, a fund has been set up for him at any Bremer Bank.

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