Young man burned twice – by his mother’s boyfriend and by his mother, who stole money donated for his treatment
WHAT A HEEL: Jodi Ann Stewart, 40, whose 19-year-old son, Antoine Willis, suffered second- and third-degree burns on his face, head, ear, hands, neck and torso when he intervened to protect her in a domestic with her boyfriend, stole $2,500 in donations that were meant to pay for his medical treatment, which she and her brother, Jeffrey Allen Stewart, 44, spent on gambling and drugs, The Pioneer Press (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN) reports:
[Jodi] Stewart's former boyfriend, Curtis Edwin Reed, 54, of St. Paul, doused Willis with charcoal lighter fluid July 20 and set him on fire, according to a Ramsey County criminal complaint charging Reed with first-degree assault. …
Willis told police he never gave his uncle permission to open bank accounts for his medical costs because he doesn't trust him. Willis also refused to sign paperwork to start the accounts, he said.
Authorities say Jeffrey Stewart had no permission to set up the accounts, designated as "benefits" to assist Willis with medical expenses while the teenager still was in the hospital.
Willis soon discovered that his mother and uncle had withdrawn $1,500 from the account at the South St. Paul bank and $1,000 from the Woodbury account, the charges said. …
[Jeffrey] Stewart, who is unemployed, wanted to use some of the money to gamble, he told police. The rest of the money went for drugs for Jodi Stewart, he said.
Having pleading guilty to felony theft by swindle, Jodi Stewart was sentenced to 60 days in jail with credit for 34 days served, and was ordered to perform six days of community service followed by five years' probation. If she contacts her son or brother during this time, her probation will be revoked and she could serve a stayed sentence of one year in prison.
Jeffrey Stewart, who has several convictions for burglary and theft dating back to 1990, is scheduled to appear in court on December 5th on the charge of theft by swindle and could face as much as five years in prison if convicted.
Reed's trial for the assault on Antoine Willis is scheduled to start December 12th.
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