COURIER L 10 IFE, MARCH 12-18, 2021
Man dies after
lighting himself on
fi re in Sheepshead
His mother, 77, declared missing
Authorities investigate the scene; 77-year-old Patricia Ventre has been declared missing,
according to police. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell/NYPD
BY BEN VERDE
A 46-year-old man died after setting
himself on fi re in his Sheepshead Bay
backyard on March 9, and the man’s
mother has been reported missing, according
to police.
Cops responded to a 911 call at 5:35
am to fi nd the man fully ablaze in the
rear yard of a house on Bedford Avenue
near Avenue Y, in an apparent act
of self-immolation, according to a police
source.
Firefi ghters extinguished the
fl ames shortly after arriving, after
which medics pronounced the man
dead. Eyewitnesses told cops they saw
the man douse himself in an unknown
liquid accelerant before setting himself
on fi re.
Neighbors on the block of two-story
rowhouses gathered to watch canine
units inspect the scene. One resident
of the block said they never noticed
any domestic issues at the house of
the deceased, and that they had “three
beautiful dogs.”
The cause of the death remains under
investigation, according to police.
Police are also searching for
77-year-old Patricia Ventre, described
as approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall and
120 pounds. She lives in the Bedford
Avenue home with her son.
If someone you know exhibits warning
signs of suicide, do not leave the person
alone; remove any fi rearms, alcohol,
drugs, or sharp objects that could be
used in a suicide attempt; call the U.S.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
(800) 273–8255; and take the person to
an emergency room or seek help from a
medical or mental health professional.
— Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell