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Naomie Breton, back at her Lantana, Fla., homes talks about her ordeal of being set ablaze.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - A woman who was set on fire at a gas station says she's being victimized again, this time by hundreds of dollars in car towing fees levied by the state of Florida.
Naomie Breton, 34, has to pay $340 for having her car towed from the gas station where police say the father of her son set her on fire Monday, television station WPBF of Palm Beach, Fla., reported.
"I think it's a disgrace," Breton told WPBF. "It's not like I had a choice of where my car went to. I was on fire. So therefore, my car is here now and I have to pay you to get what's mine back? That's not right."
Adding insult to injury, Breton also is on the hook for the $363 towing bill -- plus the $25-a-day late fee -- owed by the man accused of attacking her, Roosevelt Mondesir, WPBF reported.
Both his and her names are on the car. Mondesir, 52, is behind bars at the Palm Beach County Jail, being held without bail on a charge of attempted first-degree murder.
Boynton Beach police said they responded to a 7-Eleven at 7088 Lawrence Road and found Breton with severe burns to her face and body, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBCMiami.com. Parts of her shirt were still on fire on the ground, it said.
Store surveillance video showed the woman running into the convenience store, screaming as she tried to shut the front door. She could be heard telling a man to leave her alone, and then a man pulls her out of the store. Moments later she ran by outside ablaze.
Breton had driven to the gas station in her Mercedes to meet Mondesir for their "time-sharing exchange" of their 4-year-old son, for whom they share custody, the affidavit said. As she waited at the gas pumps in her car, Mondesir arrived in a Jaguar and Breton realized her son was not in the car, the affidavit said. She wanted to get back in her car to leave, but he got out of his car with a red gas can and began dousing her body and car with gasoline, according to the report.
Breton was burned over 12 percent of her body and was released Tuesday from Delray Medical Center. Breton told the Palm Beach Post from her Lantana, Fla., home that she wouldn't have been attacked if Palm Beach County Judge Thomas Barkdyll had granted her a restraining order in late May.
“They said there wasn’t enough physical evidence,” the single mother of three told the Post.
She told the Post that she and Mondesir had been together for eight years but that he became verbally abusive and violent after she did not give him a definite answer to a Valentine’s Day marriage proposal.
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Wait till her medical bills roll in. We have BC/BS insurance, a 5-mile ambulance trip three years ago cost us $650 out-of-pocket, I'll bet it's more than that now. The ambulance that was sent by the 9-1-1 operator was not an authorized or prefered provider or something like that--like we had a choice of who showed up when we dialed 9-1-1. I hope her attacker gets stuck with all the bills--and stuck in a jail cell, too.
I'm sincerely sorry she got burned but, we're talking Mercedes and Jaguar here and can't afford the towing?? Get both cars out of impound and sell the Jag to cover the towing and medical costs. I would not wait to long or the storage fees will be greater than the value of the vehicle. Doesn't Florida have a victims law that provides funds to help the victim? Sounds like a private towing company with a a contract with the city. They tend to be rather mercenary and heartless.
She should call Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton, they can come down there to start some trouble. Call the State Attorney office, they can go out and arrest the guy and his family.
Another revenue generator by our buddies in the justice system. Price gouging and kicking people when they are down seems to be an area of expertice.
Now this situation can use that STAND YOURGROUND LAW!! FLORIDA smh!
True love. He's just trying to show her how much he really cares.
if there is a fund set up to help this woman, i would like to know; i would like to contribute to it.
There are thousands of well to do Blacks out there. You would think that one of those wealthy Black people would help this poor woman out of this situation. Come on Black folks, step up. You know who you are.
Tarzan...you are always trying to spread the love...
Since your insurance usually pays to tow your auto after an accident would not they also pay in the circumstance?
She did NOT have a car accident. She was assaulted in the driveway of the store. Auto insurance won't cover this. It's not a tow fee but an impoound fee and daily storage.
Never show a tow truck driver respect. Never give them a break. Never show them sympathy. You will get none from any of them.
The more I read about this woman, Zimmerman, and election laws in Florida, the more I believe they've passed Californians in stupidity.
Who ever heard of a car being towed from a convenience store? The owner had to have called a tow truck to take it off the property. Make them pay for it.
When the owner doesn't want the car sitting on his property taking up space. So you call a tow truck. That's unheard of to you? Why should they get stuck with babysitting it for these two?
Only in Florida the land of sunshine and fraud!
Yes because the fear of a violation of a TRO was so much more frightening than a murder charge to him.
I have got to get into the towing business. $363.00 towing bill plus $25.00 a day late fee? Count me in !!!!
I'm sure they'll waive the fees. They were probably automatically sent to her by a computer or something.
Why is there no comment from any police or state officials on this story? I'm guessing they don't know about this yet, and the reporter didn't bother to call them for commetn.
There is just too much wrong with this entire incident.
The both of them are together for eight years. they have a four year old child.
Driving two high end cars she can't even get a TRO because she can't document any violence. While some complain about it, why couldn't he go into court and do the same thing? Actually he could. Same result unless he had proof. If he was so violent, why not document it? File a prior complaint? They share custody so was it done with the assistance of a lawyer?
She states a TRO would have prevented the attack yet a TRO will still allow joint custody and visitation. She's in such fear yet agrees to meet in a gas station? There are better areas than that to meet....like the lawyer's office.
The entire change in attitude only starts after being together eight years and after a marriage proposal? After eight years she didn't know if she wanted to stay yet there were no issues?
She didn't deserve to be burned. But they both sound totally dysfunctional.
As far as the towing charges...the tow truck operator isn't going to do it out of the goodness of their heart. They want to get paid and they know it doesn't come out of her pocket. Turn it over to the car insurer...unless they didn't pay for the 12 dollar a year emergency road service.
um...a gas station is a public place...probably figured it would be safe. And how do yo know this guy wasn't careful to make sure his treatent of her was hidden?
Stop judging...you have no idea what someone goes through when they have a violent ex.
Forget trying to be armchair lawyers. This is what happens when you LET THE GOVERNMENT run your life. This is what happens when you OVER LEGISLATE everything to get elected. We always need another law. Aside from it being an automobile, imagine how this would have been dealt with in 1875, the shop owner would have known the victim, he would have called his buddy the tow driver and worked out a cheap tow back to her house. Then sombody else would have gone and burned the guys house down before he was hung, just so he could see the smoke. Today, what is the option for 7-11? They can't have a car sit in their lot, covered in gas (as the article stated), they are liable if somebody tosses a cigarette on it. They could be be sued by the woman, if any damages occur to her car. They had no choice but to tow it. And they have to use an approved towing company, with an impound lot, which the city charges excessive fees to run. (which is why the tow company has to charge $350 and $25 a day, just to pay all their excessive compliance fees) Laws, laws, laws, government run by lawyers. You get what you vote for. 1/2 of you people complaining have probably used the statement "there should be a law against this...." sometime in the last 6 months.
I'm thinking if she can afford those two very expensive cars she can afford the towing fee.
The store should pay the towing fee. How ridiculous that after what they witnessed that they bothered to call to have the victim's car towed!
The fact of the matter is . . . ALL victims of crimes have to pay for their expenses. IT IS NOT FAIR. But it is the truth. My daughter was mugged in her own driveway by a stalker. She was beaten with a base ball bat. She has over $6000.00 in medical expenses that she must pay for because it was she who went to the hospital. And the kicker is . . . . . . even though we KNOW who the stalker is, there is not enough evidence to get him arrested. So he gets off easy. No bills. No criminal record. No time in jail. No lost pay. Yep . . That is how it works.
Damn, Nikki...I'm so sorry that happened. I hope your daughter is much better, now.
Too bad you don't know a couple of really big guys who would "talk" to that @!$%#.
I would assume that the victim of a crime, having been violently attacked and taken to the hospital, wouldn't have to pay parking fines or towing fees related to where they unwillingly left their vehicle.
The person who called the tow company and requested the cars be towed should have to pay. They ordered a service, they should pay for it.
I have not got much, but I will be glad to help pay what I can so she can have her car back. jsuliot@gmail.com
please publish the name of the towing company and/or the number of the boynton beach police station so we can get lots of people to call them and thank them for them humanity!! this is disgusting. this woman is a crime victim!! she did not choose to be set on fire....duh. this is sooooo florida! just another situation where folks there have less than zero common sense. florida is a laughing stock of the nation for good reason -- stories like this!! this woman asked for help and got nothing but more abuse. nice going fl -- keeping your citizens safe and giving a crap.
Boo Hoo She had to pay a tow bill. Lets have a telethon.
For all you Florida-bashers:
Don't want to rain on your parade, but this could have happened in most states - just the way the laws are. I broke down on a two lane road and was impeding traffic. Sheriff's deputy called for tow truck, and the cost was a gouge. The tow truck driver told me county law set the price if LEO makes the request. Had I called, it would have been a $100.00 less. This was in Norht Carolina. Live & learn.
Let Mondesir pay for the towing. He was driving around in a Jaguar, he can afford it. What a piece of work. Wonder why she didn't answer his Valentine's Day proposal; who wouldn't want to marry such a great guy? Hope this gal heals up alright and her and her kids stay safe. Not enough evidence for a restraining order before.....guess there is now!