11-year-old used gas and napkin to set ‘lemon’ of car on fire

A local mother has been charged with arson and child abuse after her son caught on fire while in her care.

Juanita Carr, the mother of an 11-year-old boy who now has second- and third-degree burns covering almost half of his body, had him light her vehicle, which was doused with gasoline, on fire with a lit napkin.

Carr, her son and her daughter’s boyfriend went to a 7-Eleven at Boulder Highway and Tropicana Avenue and bought one gallon of gasoline.

Carr told police she then drove to her vehicle which was left near the Silverbowl, where it had been left by the daughter’s boyfriend and her son.

After lighting the car on fire, the flames spread the boy’s shirt and he began rolling on the ground, according to police.

The car was a “lemon,” Carr told police. It was apparently still overheating after she paid $1,200 to have it fixed. She was also one month behind on her car payment.