A man who pleaded guilty in a case of a baby being doused with lighter fluid and almost set on fire has sought to withdraw his plea, according to Seneca County District Attorney, Mark Sinkiewicz.
Jamie Avery Jr. pleaded guilty to attempted assault in December 2022, and Judge Barry Porsch committed to a sentence of nine years in prison. However, during an appearance on Wednesday in the county court, Avery requested to withdraw his plea, the Finger Lakes Times reported.
Avery and Lisbeth Collado doused a one-year-old girl in flammable liquid and unsuccessfully tried to set the child on fire. The child was treated at the scene by ambulance personnel and taken to Geneva General Hospital.
Another child, a three-year-old boy, was found with a head injury inside a nearby tractor-trailer. Deputies forced their way into the cab of the locked truck and took the boy to Geneva General before he was flown by LifeNet to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. Both children are believed to be Avery and Collado’s, but the motive for the alleged acts is still unclear.
A hearing on Avery’s request to withdraw his plea is expected to be held next month. A hearing in Collado’s case is scheduled for March.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]