Teenager Arrested After Man Set Afire Aboard AC Transit Bus In Oakland
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who investigators believe intentionally set a man on fire aboard an AC Transit bus Monday evening.
The victim is an 18-year-old who was sleeping on the bus, police said.
The bus was traveling near the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Ardley Avenue, near Interstate Highway 580, when the man was set on fire at about 5:20 p.m., police said.
"He woke up and his clothes were on fire." Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim suffering from burns to his lower body, according to police.
AC Transit spokesman Clarence Johnson said the victim was taken to the burn center at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco.
Donations To Cover Medical Costs For Teen Burned On AC Transit Bus
Watson said the teen suffered second- and third-degree burns but is listed in stable condition.
According to Johnson, at least a dozen passengers were on board the AC Transit Line 57 bus when they noticed a man on fire toward the rear of the bus.
Johnson said passengers told the driver what was happening and the driver stopped the bus to call for help, at which point several people exited through the back of the bus.
Police said the perpetrator got off the bus and fled before officers arrived. The suspect was not identified.
Watson said police were reviewing footage of the incident captured by a surveillance camera on the bus, and that it appears only one suspect was involved in the crime.
She said it appears no accelerant was used to start the fire. The motive remained under investigation.
Teenager Arrested After Setting Man Afire Aboard AC Transit Bus
The AC Transit passengers who were on the bus were picked up by another bus, Johnson said.
Anyone with information about the assault or about the suspect is urged to call the Oakland Police Department's Major Crimes Section at (510) 238-3426 or the anonymous tip line at (510) 777-2805.
The motive for the crime remains under investigation.
(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
