A horrific incident unfolded in downtown Los Angeles as an elderly man was assaulted and set on fire by a man now in police custody.
LAPD responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call early Monday and arrived at the scene to find a 70-year-old man injured and set on fire. He was transported to the hospital in “critical condition,” authorities confirmed to the Post.
Video footage obtained by the Post shows the victim being treated with burnt clothing on the ground, while officers set up a perimeter with crime tape. At the moment, streets were also blocked off around W 6th St just east of S Olive St, where the incident had occurred.
At least half a dozen police officers secured the scene as three paramedics loaded the man into an ambulance before rushing him to the hospital.
A witness said off camera that he was on a bus when he saw a man stomping on the victim’s face before setting him on fire. The witness said he got off the bus and went to put out the fire before performing CPR on the victim.
The current condition of the man is unknown, and the LAPD said it was still interviewing the suspect but had no additional details to share.
Downtown Los Angeles has a high crime rate relative to other areas in the city, with crime heavily concentrated on assault, battery, and robbery, although recent data indicates a downward trend in violent crimes.
This is not the first time an incident has impacted an elderly person in downtown Los Angeles.
In a separate case, authorities say the suspect, identified as Kenneth Gibson, was on parole at the time of the attack for a prior killing. Prosecutors allege he carried out a random stabbing against 70-year-old Riffat Sultana Kazmi as she walked in downtown Los Angeles. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, while Nathan Hochman described the incident as a “senseless” and “heinous” act that left the victim in critical condition.
