A Brooklyn man now sits in jail accused of dousing his pregnant ex-girlfriend with rubbing alcohol and setting her on fire while their 11-year-old daughter watched.
Quick Take
- Prosecutors say Shawn Rickenbacker, 44, attacked Vanessa Edmonds, 38, inside a Crown Heights apartment on October 24.
- Edmonds suffered severe burns and was placed in a medically induced coma at a hospital burn unit.
- The couple’s daughter reportedly told police Rickenbacker threatened her and her mother with a knife before the fire.
- Rickenbacker faces attempted murder, assault, weapons, and child endangerment charges and is held without bail.
What Prosecutors Say Happened Inside The Apartment
Prosecutors say the attack unfolded fast. Around 5:09 p.m. on October 24, Rickenbacker argued with Edmonds inside their unit at 108 Kingsborough Walk in the Kingsborough Houses. He allegedly threatened her and their daughter with a knife, then threw rubbing alcohol on Edmonds and set her on fire before fleeing the scene, according to prosecutors cited by News 12.
Edmonds suffered severe burns to her face, hands, shoulders, and back. She was rushed to Weill Cornell Hospital’s burn unit and placed in a medically induced coma, according to court documents cited in multiple reports. The couple’s 11-year-old daughter was in the apartment during the attack and told police her father threatened both her and her mother with a knife beforehand, according to the reporting.
Charges Filed And A Conflicting Account From The Accused
Rickenbacker, 44, was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges that include attempted murder, assault, weapons possession, and endangering the welfare of a child. Some reports also list arson and criminal mischief among the counts he faces. A judge ordered him held without bail as the case moves forward.
Rickenbacker gave police a different version of events, according to prosecutors. He claimed Edmonds had rubbing alcohol on her hand and swung at him, and that she caught fire when he pushed her away while he was smoking a cigarette. He appeared at his arraignment with extensive bandages on his head, which his attorney attributed to burns he suffered during the incident.
How Investigators Pieced Together The Timeline
Sources told reporters that Rickenbacker attempted to contact police in Queens about the fire before he was tracked down and arrested. That detail, combined with his own injuries, gives investigators a fuller picture of his movements in the hours after Edmonds was burned, even though it does not by itself prove what happened inside the apartment.
Edmonds’ pregnancy has been reported by multiple outlets citing law enforcement sources, though no medical record or court filing confirming it has been made public. One caveat worth noting: these are still allegations, and Rickenbacker has not been convicted of any crime.
Why Fire As A Weapon Marks A Distinct And Brutal Pattern
Burns inflicted by an intimate partner are rare compared with other domestic violence injuries, but they tend to be far more severe. A 2025 study of burn-center admissions found that suspected violent burns made up 2.5% of women treated over thirteen years, and those victims were more likely to suffer head injuries and death than people burned by accident. Current or former partners were the most common accused attackers in that data.
That pattern matters here because it shows this case fits a documented, if uncommon, method of abuse rather than a freak accident. Courts have long treated the deliberate use of fire as powerful evidence of intent, since starting a fire near another person is rarely something that happens by chance. New York appellate rulings have upheld attempted murder and arson convictions built on exactly that kind of reasoning, where a defendant’s own actions in starting a fire supported a jury’s finding of deliberate intent.
What Happens Next For The Family And The Case
The couple’s daughter remains a key witness, and prosecutors will likely lean on her account along with physical evidence as the case proceeds, since Edmonds’ medical condition may limit how soon she can testify herself. Research on children who witness domestic violence suggests prosecutors often face a delicate balance, weighing the value of a child’s testimony against the harm of forcing a young witness to relive a traumatic event in court.
For now, Rickenbacker remains behind bars without bail while the investigation continues. The next court dates will determine how prosecutors present their evidence and whether the case heads toward trial or a plea agreement, with the safety of Edmonds and her daughter hanging in the balance.
A 44-year-old man has been placed under arrest after police say he set a 38-year-old pregnant woman on fire inside a Crown Heights NYCHA apartment while her young daughter watched.
According to police, Kenneth Rickenbacher has been charged with attempted murder, assault, arson,… pic.twitter.com/dbHNNY4CmC
— Crime In NYC (@Crime_In_NYC) October 26, 2026
The Crown Heights community, like many watching this story unfold, is left grappling with a brutal reminder that domestic violence can escalate into tactics meant to maim and terrify, not just harm. Holding the accused accountable through a fair, transparent court process remains the clearest path toward justice for Edmonds and her daughter.
Sources:
washingtontimes.com, amny.com, bronx.news12.com, nydailynews.com
