A homeless woman remained hospitalized in critical condition early Wednesday with burns to 60 percent of her body, authorities said.
The woman was found Tuesday night in southwest Miami-Dade County when authorities arrived responded to a call about a brush fire. Miami-Dade Fire discovered her in the busway at 21420 South Dixie Highway in the area known as the Goulds.
Authorities said the woman was known to live in the bushes near the area where she found.
"Everybody thought we were sister and brother," said Richard Leggiere, who said he was also homeless. "That's a cruel thing to do to somebody. What can you do to somebody that's so bad that you're going to set them on fire?"
Sylvester Johnson, who lives in the area, said he had seen in the area many times with her dog.
"I have seen her milion times," he said. "She's always been an alright person to me. She never bothered me. I talked to her couple times.I given her some money in her little cup."
She was taken to Kendall Regional Hospital because her condition was so bad, officials didn't want to take the longer trip to Jackson Memorial's burn unit.
Miami-Dade Police are investigating the incident as an attack on a homeless person based on the evidence, which wasn't disclosed.
"I hope they get the guy who did it because that's wrong, that's cruel," said Leggiere.
Authorities didn't immediately release the woman's name, but they said she had been arrested several times in the past.
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