Investigators say mother poured gasoline on herself and her two sons before setting them on fire

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WESH) – A Florida mother is facing charges after authorities say she intentionally set herself and her two young sons on fire using gasoline, killing one of her sons.

GRAPHIC WARNING: Details may be disturbing to some readers.

Esther Thelus, 26, can be seen on camera at a 7-Eleven store just minutes before setting herself and her two sons on fire on Aug. 26, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Clerk Marie Jean says Thelus came into the store with a clear jug in his left hand, which was an immediate red flag.

“He was telling another guy in Creole, ‘Hey, I need gas.’ And the guy said, ‘You can’t put gas in that water bottle,'” Jean said.

Another customer offered to help Thelus buy a gas container, not knowing the horror that would ensue.

Earlier in the day, Thelus’ roommate said the mother had taken her 2-year-old son to the alleged father’s house so they could move to Fort Lauderdale, investigators said. The man and his mother denied being the child’s father and asked him to take a DNA test first.

After a while, the man’s mother brought the 2-year-old boy back to Thelus’ home, deputies said. That’s when Thelus went to the 7-Eleven just a few minutes away.

Jean says selling gas to Thelus was a transaction he will never forget.

“’Am I making the right decision to do what I’m going to do?’ “I think he’s telling himself that because he wants to do it but doesn’t want to,” Jean said. “As soon as I left the store, I’d say it wasn’t even an hour after the officers came to talk to me.”

Investigators said when Thelus returned home, she gathered her 2-year-old children and her infant son, doused herself and them with gas, and set them all on fire.

Thelus is still in the hospital following the incident. His 2-year-old son was expected to be in good condition, but his younger son died about two months later, with 80% of his body burned.

When Thelus’ roommate asked him why he took this action, deputies said Thelus claimed it was because of “too much humiliation.”

“But the children did not want to be born. “I’d rather you go to the fire station and drop them off and tell them you can’t take care of them anymore than do something like that,” Jean said.

The 7-Eleven clerk said he wished he could have done something to prevent what happened.

“I kind of have PTSD because I feel bad about what happened in my store. Everything was provided through my store,” Jean said.

Thelus faces charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

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