A California man was set on fire after he was doused in gasoline by a woman in a park in Sanger near Fresno.
Patricia Castillo, 48, is accused of setting the man ablaze together with an accomplice, 43-year-old Leonard Hawkins, who allegedly provided her with the gas.
Both Castillo and Hawkins have been arrested in connection with the incident which occurred on Thursday night at around 9pm.
Officers from the Sanger Police Department were called to the park and found the man with severe burns to the upper half of his body.
Patricia Castillo, 48, and Leonard Hawkins, 43, both of Sanger, California, have been booked into Fresno County Jail for attempted murder, arson, and conspiracy after Castillo allegedly poured gasoline on a man and lit him on fire. Hawkins allegedly supplied the accelerant
Two people have been arrested after setting a woman could be seen setting a man on fire in a California park
In surveillance video Castillo allegedly walked up to the man who was sitting on the grass and threw a cup of gasoline onto him.
The pair are then seen arguing at which point the woman could be seen taking out her cigarette lighter which she proceeded to light and began gesturing towards the man who moved away.
Moments later, the woman placed the lighter close to the man’s shirt which instantly ignited.
‘Investigators used video surveillance and witness statements to identify Patricia Castillo and Leonard Hawkins as the suspects,’ the Sanger Police Department said in a statement released on social media.
Sanger Police Department reviewed footage from security cameras which allegedly saw 48-year-old Patricia Castillo walking up to the victim and throwing liquid on him before sparking a lighter and setting the man alight
The pair were arrested and booked for attempted murder, arson and conspiracy. The man was immediately taken to hospital and is expected to survive after suffering upper body burns
‘The video shows Castillo approaching the victim and throwing a liquid from a cup onto him, and she and the victim appear to argue before Castillo sparks a lighter and lights the victim on fire. Further investigation revealed that Leonard Hawkins had provided the accelerant used to light the victim on fire to Castillo.’
The man was immediately taken to hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries.
Both Castillo and Hawkins were taken into custody without incident and face multiple felony charges including attempted murder, arson and conspiracy.
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