MIAMI – A man accused of setting his nephew on fire appeared in court Wednesday, where a Miami-Dade County judge ordered he be held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.
Keith Wallace, 63, faces an attempted second-degree murder charge.
The incident was reported Tuesday afternoon in the 14000 block of Boggs Drive.
According to an arrest report, the victim, Emery Wallace, was visiting his grandmother when his uncle, whom he used to live with, became enraged and said, "He got to go."
A witness told police the victim tried to leave the home in an attempt to diffuse the situation when Keith Wallace doused him with a flammable liquid and set him on fire.
Police said the suspect armed himself with a knife and large garden border brick during the incident and struck the victim with the brick as the victim was trying to extinguish the flames.
According to the arrest report, a woman at the home grabbed Keith Wallace in order to stop him from attacking the victim. She told police the suspect continued to threaten the victim, saying he was going to kill him.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the victim to Kendall Regional Medical Center in critical condition.
According to the report, Emery Wallace suffered second-degree burns to 20 percent of his body and had to be sedated due to the severity of his injuries.
Miami-Dade police Detective Christopher Thomas said the victim was stable at last check and is expected to survive.
Police said Keith Wallace refused to speak with detectives.
A judge ordered that he be placed on house arrest if he posts bail.