ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County mother was indicted on Wednesday after deputies said she set herself and her two sons on fire earlier this year.
In an arrest affidavit, deputies said they were called to a home along Hiawassee Oaks Drive on the evening of Aug. 26 after receiving reports about the fire.
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Upon arrival, they found the mother — identified as Esther Thelus, 26 — with over half of her body being burned, investigators added.
Meanwhile, her 2-year-old son had minor burns to his body, though her 8-month-old baby had burns across nearly 90% of his body, the affidavit reveals.
According to detectives, all three were taken to the hospital for their burns, though the baby ultimately died from his injuries around two months later.
However, deputies also said that “humiliation” was suspected as the motive for the incident.
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“Apparently, Esther Thelus was going to relinquish (REDACTED) over to (the 2-year-old’s father) because she was moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her infant... and was not planning on taking (REDACTED) with her,” the affidavit reads.
But when Thelus arrived at the supposed father’s house, he questioned the “legitimacy” of the child and suggested that Thelus complete a DNA test to prove he was the father before he would take responsibility, according to investigators.
The affidavit states that later, surveillance video from a 7-Eleven gas station on Clarcona Ocoee Road caught Thelus purchasing a lighter, a gas can and gasoline before heading back home with the items.
Investigators said that when Thelus returned home, she reportedly gathered her two children and went outside with them, which is when the daughter of Thelus’ roommate came into the house, screaming, “She’s killing the kids! They are all on fire!”
Deputies said the roommate asked Thelus why she’d done it, and Thelus supposedly responded, “It’s too much humiliation.”
“The investigation determined Thelus intentionally set herself and the two children on fire, and deputies arrested her,” a release from the State Attorney’s Office reads.
Thelus was arrested in November and formally indicted on Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. She is held on no bond.
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