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carfiresuspectRaymond Sean Clark being arrested at the scene of the incident. Photo by Sarah Bennett.

A transient who allegedly threw a flammable liquid into an occupied car in front of an Eastside 7-Eleven on Friday, causing it to erupt in flames with the driver inside, has been charged with attempted murder, police said Saturday.

The victim remained in critical condition over the weekend and was said to have extreme burns over most of his body, including on his legs and torso. He is not being identified because he is the victim of a violent crime, but witnesses on the scene described him as a black man in his 30s or 40s.

A homeless man, Raymond Sean Clark, 38, was arrested within a block of the scene shortly after the incident occurred at around 5:10PM Friday. Witnesses positively identified him as the perpetrator of the fiery crime that one Long Beach Police Department official called “extremely unsettling.”

carfire711Residents who live in the area and frequent that 7-Eleven said they recognized the man who was arrested as a local transient who is often hanging around the parking lot on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Clark Ave. asking for cigarettes and change. 

While police say they have not determined a motive for the crime, ABC7 found one witness who claimed that the victim had denied the suspect money just prior to the incident.

“There is no indication that the suspect and the victim had any relationship prior to what happened,” LBPD’s Sgt. Aaron Eaton said. “Right now it appears that this was a random act.” 

Clark is also being charged with two misdemeanor warrants out for his arrest, both for failing to appear. He is being held at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Inmate Reception Center on a $502,200 bail 

If anyone has information about this incident they are asked to call Violent Crimes Detective Kevin Bradburn at (562) 570-7250 or to remain anonymous visit www.lacrimestoppers.org.

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