Thursday 23 June 2022 04:05 AM Connecticut mother 6-year-old-son set on fire by 8-year-old speaks out and ... trends now

A Connecticut boy accused of bullying his six-year-old neighbor burst into tears as he denied dousing a ball in gasoline and throwing it at the alleged victim.

Stefano Giacobba claimed Dominick Krankall trod on a flaming cup that exploded on him despite their pleas to leave it alone in the yard in Bridgeport.

The eight-year-old said he was 'saddened' by the shocking incident and was devastated his group of friends had now shunned him following a mass uproar.

Meanwhile Krankall's mother Maria Rua doubled down her claim Stefano had been bullying her boy and smacked him with the burning ball.

She also revealed she has received vile death threats and the family were forced to move into a hotel due to a vicious public backlash.

It comes as she defended her decision to use $500,000 - raised through a Go Fund Me page - to buy a new home for her son with a larger backyard.

Rua said they were closing in on the sale next week but added anyone who wanted their money back would be fully refunded.

The fallout started on April 24 when Stefano was accused of setting light to a ball and putting it in Dominick's face which set him on fire.

The boy suffered second and third-degree burns and spent weeks in hospital but has been making a quick recovery.

Originally it appeared the youngster had been set on fire by the tennis ball but surveillance footage later emerged that seemed to contradict this.

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On Wednesday afternoon, Stafano's mother Laura, 45, gave DailyMail.com a walk through the backyard of her house where the incident happened.

'As you walk outside this is our backyard where the children were at play. This is where the gas was on the ground where Dominick did light on fire,' she said.

'As Dominick was standing here they were all lighting different things on fire. Dominick turned his back. There is a spot right here.'

Laura said: 'Where were you [Maria] at the time that they were kicking a ball around in the backyard? You never came downstairs. Just admit it Maria Rua you are wrong! You are wrong! It's done. You are a liar!'

She added: 'He [Stefano] is hurting now. You put him all over the world and he is not a bully and I am not going to let you you use my son all over the world as a bully.

'I want it cleared. I think [MARIA] owes him an apology. You and your family, as well as the Mayor owe him an apology.'

She also told how her boy had lost his friends since the fallout which had left him devastated. She said: 'He lost friends that were very close to him. He loved him like they were his own brother and for him.

'He lost a friend. He lost a friend that he really cared for. She put it out there that he was a bully and my son is not a bully, she got chocked up.

'Stefano was crying that he went down the block to play with some  kids he knows. The kids said to him: 'Get away from the house... don't light me on fire.'

As Laura was talking her son stood beside her lifting his hand to his face as he burst into tears. He claimed there was a cup on fire on the floor and Dominick ran up and stamped on it during the shocking incident.

'Me and my brother and his brother told him not to step on it. He ran over and jumped on it and stomped on it and it exploded,' Stefano said.

When the cup exploded the gasoline apparently splashed on Dominick's face and caused the horrendous burns. When Stefano's mother asked her son 'how did you feel when that happened to Dominick,' Stefano replied: 'Sad.'

His mother then asked him: 'Can you show me exactly where the cup was?' Stefano pointed to an area on the ground that showed a slight circle.

But in a separate interview with DailyMail.com, Maria hit back at Laura's claims and doubled down her son was targeted by Stefano who she again branded a bully.