Woman threatened to drive into the water before burning car with son inside, cops say
Hours before Columbia police said a woman intentionally set a car on fire with her baby inside Sunday, she attacked the boy’s father, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Steven Bramsen, the father, told sheriff’s deputies that Caylin Allise Watson also threatened “to drive off into the water” while their 13-month-old son, Kairon, was in the car, according to an incident report.
Police said Watson parked her car on the shoulder of S.C. 126, near the exit for Greystone Boulevard and the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens, at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday and intentionally set it on fire with Kairon still inside.
The toddler was severely burned and is being treated at the Augusta Burn Center in Georgia.
Watson was charged with attempted murder, first-degree arson, third-degree arson and abuse/infliction of great bodily injury upon a child, jail records show.
But Bramsen told deputies that at 11:15 a.m.Sunday, Watson was trying to harm him — in several different ways.
Bramsen said he went to Watson’s home to check on Kairon, which enraged Watson, according to the incident report.
Watson came at him with a knife, which he took away from her and put inside the car that belongs to his current girlfriend, a Volkswagen sedan, the report said. Watson then threw two flower pots at the car and broke the windshield, according to the sheriff’s department.
Bramsen said he tried to drive away, but Watson got into a 2010 Toyota Camry and rammed the Volkswagen head on, causing more damage, according to the incident report.
Kairon was in the Camry when Watson smashed into the other car, the report said.
It was just before noon when he left, and Bramsen went to the sheriff’s department headquarters to report the incident. Shortly after he left the sheriff’s department, Bramsen doubled back to tell deputies about Watson’s threat to drive into the water, the report said.
After pinging Watson’s cell phone, which showed she was in the area of Columbia’s Riverfront Park, deputies were dispatched to find her and Kairon, the sheriff’s department said.
When they didn’t locate Watson, her phone was pinged a second time, which showed she had returned to the area near her home, according to the report. But before deputies could make it there, they were informed that Watson and Kairon were found at the burning vehicle on the highway, the sheriff’s department said.
Four bystanders who were also heading west on S.C. 126 saw the car on fire and stopped to assist, according to police. Some of the good Samaritans got out of their vehicles to help the toddler, while others called 911, police said.
Columbia police responded and said both Kairon and Watson “smelled strongly of accelerant that appeared to have been intentionally used to cause great bodily injury or death.”
The 13-month-old suffered second- and third-degree burns over 20 percent of his body, including around his face, hands, legs and feet, Bramsen said in the GoFundMe campaign he started to help pay for Kairon’s medical bills. The little boy was airlifted to the burn center in Augusta, where he has already undergone one surgery and will need more, in addition to skin grafts, according to Bramsen.
After being treated for injuries at an area hospital, Watson was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. A judge denied Watson bond, and she remained behind bars at the Richland County jail, records show.
Messages left for Bramsen have not been immediately returned.
A $100,000 goal was originally set for Kairon’s fundraiser, but Bramsen lowered that figure to $35,000 after getting assistance from Medicaid Tuesday afternoon.
Through 2 p.m. Wednesday, more than $13,000 has been raised from 344 donors.
“I want to thank everybody in our home state of South Carolina for all the support and love and multiple people from around the world it’s a blessing that he has touched so many different people’s hearts. We thank you for everything everybody has done,” Bramsen said in the GoFundMe.
He updated Kairon’s condition, saying the boy’s “vitals are perfect,” and the bandaging around his face in addition to his breathing tube are expected to be removed Thursday.
“Tomorrow will be a big day for Kairon! I cannot wait to see his little face and finally be able to give him a kiss on the cheek,” Bramsen said.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 2:23 PM.
