New Jersey woman charged with burning newborn baby to death

PEMBERTON, N.J. - A young New Jersey woman is in jail, charged with the burning death of her newborn baby Friday night, CBS Philadelphia reported.

Authorities say 22-year-old Hyphernkemberly Dorvilier doused her newborn baby with a flammable liquid then set the girl on fire around 11 p.m. Friday night in Pemberton Township, about 30 miles east of Philadelphia.

"You see a sight like that, it just puts life into perspective," says Dave Joseph, who lives nearby. He said he saw the small fire from his window and went to investigate.

"We actually didn't think it was a baby, we just thought it was a fire, somebody dumping everything down there," Joseph said, "but when we found out what it was, it was just a nightmare."

Police arrived and quickly extinguished the flames. The infant was airlifted to St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia and died two hours later.

"She was hiding," Joseph said. "She was trying to defy what it was. I had her on the ground. I was holding her down because she tried to get away."

Dorvilier was taken into custody at the scene. She has been charged with one count of murder and is being held on $500,000 bail.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's office is investigating and said an autopsy will be performed on the child.