Group of black kids beat, then set a 78yr old Grandmother on Fire, their reason 'it was just for Fun'

An elderly woman is in critical condition after she was beaten and badly burned inside her home around 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Dorothy Dow, 83, is in a medically-induced coma after Meriwether County Sheriff's Office officials said suspects forced their way into her home, beat her, poured something on her and set her on fire.

"Once they entered the home, one individual entered her bedroom where she was already in bed," said Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith.

Smith says it's likely three men and a woman barged in and demanded cash. He says one man started beating Dow with a gun, breaking several bones in her hand and forearm. She was then set on fire. She was able to put the fire out with a nearby bottle of water and call 911.

"With one hand broken and her arm broken in four places, she pulled the top off of the gallon of water, poured it over her head and put out the fire," said Beth Dow, the victim's daughter-in-law. "She then drug herself into the den on her broken arms to get to her cellphone to call 911. She said, 'I thought they were going to kill me'. They told her that she was never going to see her sons again."

Dow reportedly told deputies 3-5 suspects, one of them possibly a woman, forced their way into her home demanding money. Authorities have not yet identified any suspects, but say it's believed a group of people who helped pick blueberries from the family's yard may be responsible for the attack.

"She has individuals that come here and help her during the blueberry harvesting process," said Sheriff Smith. "We believe through the course of our investigation that it could be people that have been here prior to this attack."

Phillip Dow, Dorothy's son said Saturday morning that she was still in critical condition.