'How could he do this to me?' Teen 'burned alive by mother's jealous boyfriend' tells of horror after he was set alight in his sleep

A teenager has spoken of his horror after he said he was doused in petrol and burned alive by his mother's boyfriend while he was sleeping.



Antoine Willis, 19, said that his mother's boyfriend, Curtis Reed, attacked him after he stepped in when the 54-year-old threw a frozen chicken at his mother and threatened her with a knife at their home in St Pauls, Minnesota.



In his first interview, Mr Willis, who is covered in bandages to protect his second and third degree burns, tried to hold back tears as he told how he believes his mother's boyfriend of eight years wanted to kill him.

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Distraught: In his first interview, Antoine Willis said he is 'broken hearted' after his mother's boyfriend Curtis Reed, who he saw as a father figure, attacked him

Charged: Curtis Reed, 54, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $30,000 fine

'I thought I was going to die. I've never been burned alive. It was terrible,' said Mr Willis, speaking for the first time from hospital.



The teenager said that Reed, who he had seen as a father figure, threatened him in the early hours of Wednesday morning after he intervened to break up a fight between him and his mother.



According to court documents, Reed allegedly attacked his girlfriend, Mr Willis' mother, at about 3am, pushing and hitting her, before throwing a frozen chicken at her in an attempt to get alcohol.



Mr Reed allegedly threatened Mr Willis after he tried to stop him by grabbing him while two friends punched him after he had walked towards Mr Willis' mother armed with a knife and frying pan.



'He was walking around the house with hammers and stuff, still talking stuff like, "Don't go to sleep, don't' go to sleep",' Mr Willis said.

Mr Willis said that he, his girlfriend and his mother tried to stay awake by playing video games because they were fearful for their safety, but all fell asleep at around 5:30am.



He was sleeping on the sofa at around 7am on Wednesday morning, when he said he woke up to the smell of burning flesh and realised that he was covered in flames.



'All I know is I was asleep and I had fire on my head when I woke up,' Mr Willis said.

'I took my shirt off, patted my head down and he was chasing me with a bottle of lighter fluid and kept spraying me with it.

Mother and son: According to police, Antoine Willis had been trying to protect his mother Jodi Stewart in a fight hours before the alleged attack

Police files said that Reed shouted, 'I got you! I got you now!' as Mr Willis tried to put out the flames.



Mr Willis' mother told officers that a fireball the size of a basketball engulfed her son's head as he tried to run away.

According to court papers, Reed ran to a neighbour's house and called 911 and said: 'I did something stupid'. He also said that he had taken several pills.

Doctors do not know if Mr Willis will have permanent scaring and it could be three to four weeks before he is released from hospital.



He suffered second and third degree burns to his hands, face, neck, torso, scalp and ears.



Most of his body is currently covered with band-aids and gauze and he is still throwing up the lighter fluid that was used to burn him.

But Mr Willis said that what is most painful is the thought that his mother's boyfriend would attack him.

Permanent scars? Doctors said they do not know what recovery Mr Willis will make after he suffered burns to his hands, face, neck, torso, scalp and ears

'I'm kind of broken hearted that it happened I didn't think that it would happen. Didn't think someone could burn you alive,' he said.



'I think it was just a jealousy thing. He didn't want me to be there any more.'



Mr Willis said that he is having nightmares that Reed will attack him again.



'I don't want to see him ever again,' he said. 'I had a dream last night that I seen him in my room and I woke up and it was just another nurse, it scared me to death.



'I feel like if he gets out he'll try to do it again. Because I think he really tried to kill me. I really do.'



Mr Willis' mother, Jodi Stewart, said that she does not want to see her boyfriend again. 'I don't want to talk to him, I'm totally in shock,' she said.



'He's been a father figure to him for many years. For him to do something like this is just outrageous.'



Reed is charged with first-degree assault. He could face a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $30,000 fine. He remains in custody at the Ramsey County Jail.

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