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Woman set aflame in Indio undergoes skin grafts

Published February 1, 2018 6:25 AM

The mother who was set aflame last week in Indio, allegedly by her own son, has undergone two rounds of skin grafting at a burn center. Francisca Ramirez remains in critical condition, her family members tell KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2.

“Our hearts are seeking justice,” Deirdre Rodriguez said outside of the courthouse on Wednesday. She is the niece of the victim. “So far, the medical reports that they are giving to us is that she is not good, not bad, she is having procedures done so that her body doesn’t go into shock.”

Ramirez suffered severe burns from her knees up. She was able to identify her son as the attacker at the scene, police say.

“It’s going to be a long journey,” Rodriguez says. Ramirez is medicated and unable to communicate with her family at the hospital at this time.

Felony charges are filed against Israel Guardado-Ramirez, 36, of Salt Lake City. He pled not guilty in court on Thursday. The motive for the attack, according to investigators, is a domestic dispute over child custody.

Guardado-Ramirez remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail for allegedly setting his mother aflame on Friday morning at the loading dock of the Mathis Brothers furniture store at 81410 Highway 111.

Family members say the victim worked for the Mathis family for 18 years.

The victim was assisted by passersby, who put out the fire around 6 a.m. She was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s burn center in Colton, where she remains in critical condition, said Indio police Sgt. Daniel Marshall.

The woman told Indio police that following an argument involving a child custody issue, her son used “some type of accelerant” to set her on fire, according to Marshall. The suspect then walked into the Riverside County jail in Indio and turned himself in, Marshall said.

According to court documents obtained by KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2, Guardado-Ramirez had been “living out of his car” and has links to the states of Florida and Utah. According to the investigation, he came to Indio with the purpose of “settling matters” with family members which included his mother.

“How could one person harm another person in such a manner to torture them to the point where their body is charred?” Rodriguez said. “It’s just not humane.”

Rodriguez says her aunt is a strong woman. She hopes her stubborn nature will increase her chances of survival. Rodriguez says the relationship with the victim and her son “was pretty distant,” but “never anything negative.”

She says that looking back, there were “warning signs” that came up within the last few months, “but we all failed to notice.” She said arguments grew from bickering. “I’ve been trying to make sense of it for days… I still can’t come to the conclusion of how, why.”

Guardado-Ramirez had been held since turning himself in on suspicion of attempted murder, arson causing great bodily injury and torture.

The family is seeking help to pay for the medical aid for Ramirez’s care. You can see the GoFundMe Page here.

WATCH: Family of mother burned in Indio shares shock at arrest of son