Arson Suspect Badly Burned 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
Posted Friday, 12-Apr-2002
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press April 12, 2002.
By JANNISE JOHNSON, Valley Press Staff Writer
PALMDALE - A suspected arsonist had his weapon backfire Thursday when the flames from a
plastic bag full of gasoline he threw into a truck blew up in his face and set him on fire, according to a videotape of the incident. The incident took place at 3:30 a.m. Thursday in a trailer park at 343 East Ave. Q. The intended target appears to have been a Dodge Ram 3500 belonging to park managers Al and Lucinda Craig.
The Craigs say their dog Grady, a Shih Tzu being trained as a service dog to help Al, may have saved their lives.
The truck was parked next to their trailer with a tank full of gasoline, Al Craig said. Grady heard a commotion outside and began to bark. However, the residents didn't wake up until the dog began to push against the couch, causing it to bump the living room wall, Al Craig said.
The Craigs had installed a security camera outside to help authorities gather evidence of activity by a tenant against whom they had filed a restraining order. That video camera caught the arsonist's actions Thursday morning.
The short tape shows a young male approaching the large truck. He threw an object to break the passenger window in the cab, then squatted down (presumably to light the bag full of gasoline), stood and threw an object into the passenger window. For some reason, flames shot back out of the car window and engulfed the young man. The tape then shows the suspect running away, screaming, from the area. He can be heard screaming on the tape for several seconds after he is out of the frame.
(Late Thursday night, Sgt. Marion Tucker of the Palmdale Sheriff's Station said the badly burned suspect had been located at a local hospital and was in critical condition. Tucker did not know the name of the hospital, nor could she identify the suspect.)
The Craigs, who manage the Telstar Mobile Park, said they had been having trouble with Clarence McNemee, 47, of Palmdale and filed a restraining order in February. McNemee allegedly had violated the restraining order on a regular basis. McNemee was arrested Thursday on suspicion of using or possessing explosives or destructive devices, but his alleged role in the incident could not be confirmed.
Tucker said three suspects had been identified, but she was not privy to the identity of anyone other than McNemee. McNemee is being held at the Lancaster jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Uploaded April 12, 2002
© 2002 Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, California (661) 273-2700
Submitted on 04/17/2002
Submitted by:
Scott Hampton
Reference:
Antelope Valley Press 4/13/02
Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com
|
