Aurora man gets 17 years for lighting toddler on fire

An Aurora man was sentenced to 17 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to spraying his toddler niece with lighter fluid and setting her on fire in October 2009.

Raymundo Herrera, 19, of the 1200 block of Grove Street, must serve 85 percent of his sentence and cannot have unsupervised contact with children after his release, according to court records.

Judge Karen Simpson accepted the Herrera’s plea of guilty plea but mentally ill of heinous battery, a felony with a top sentence of 45 years.

Herrera was arrested shortly after the Oct. 5, 2009, attack that occurred at his home.

Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Schmidt said the guilty but mentally ill plea means the Illinois Department of Corrections has the option of moving Herrera to another facility for treatment, but he can’t be released from his sentence early.

Police said the girl, who was 3 at the time, was upstairs with Herrera before running down the steps with her clothes on fire. The girl’s aunt and grandmother put out the fire and called police who arrested Herrera, who was 17 at the time. The toddler was hospitalized after the attack.

Schmidt said the girl, now almost 5, had third-degree burns from the top of her neck to the bottom of her back.

“She’s a brave girl. She’s had to go through a lot,” Schmidt said. “It’s a horrible crime.”

Police said Herrera was apparently upset that the girl interrupted him while he was listening to music.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery. The state also dropped criminal property damage charges and disorderly conduct charges against Herrera that stemmed from on Oct. 31, 2009, fight at the jail.

Herrera was being held on $3 million bail and will receive credit for 621 days in jail.