The burned out SUV right after firefighters extinguished the blaze. Photos by Sarah Bennett
A 63-year-old man died today of burns he suffered when a homeless man allegedly thew a flammable substance into his parked vehicle, prompting the SUV to burst into flames. Though the victim has been listed as being in critical condition since the Friday afternoon attack, L.A. County Coroner’s Chief Craig Harvey confirmed that at 2AM Monday, he succumbed to his wounds at a nearby hospital.
{loadposition latestnews}Raymond Sean Clark, the 38 year-old transient who witnesses said threw a bottle into the driver’s side window of the green Toyota 4Runner just before the blaze erupted, was arrested shortly after the incident near the 7-Eleven store on PCH and Clark Ave. where the crime occured at about 5:10PM Friday. He was charged with attempted murder on Saturday and will now face a probable murder charge. He was being held in lieu of $502,200 bail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff”s Inmate Reception Center.
Police still have no firm motive for the crime, though a witness told ABC7 hours afterwards that the homeless man asked the victim for money,
but was turned down. Police could not confirm whether or not there was an altercation that occurred prior to the fire, but said that there was no indication that the two men knew one another before the attack.
“The victim was just sitting there minding his own business…Right now it appears that this was a random act,” he said. “This is an unsettling crime. It’s a horrific act that somebody would use fire in this manner and the potential for other people to get hurt…is extremely unsettling.”
After the incident, the victim was described by authorities as being very badly burnt, with the worst of the wounds relegated to the torso and legs. He was pulled from the vehicle by witnesses shortly after the fire began and was quickly transported to the hospital.
Read more:
- UPDATED: Suspect Caught After Igniting Car With Victim Inside
- Charges Filed Against Homeless Man For Car Fire Attack in 7-Eleven Parking Lot
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