Man pours lighter fluid on store clerk and sets him on fire, California cops say

A 38-year-old man was arrested after being accused of setting a store clerk on fire in California, officials said.

Deputies were dispatched to a convenience store in El Sobrante on Sept. 22 after getting reports of a shoplifting, according to a statement by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, later identified as Kendall Burton, is accused of pouring lighter fluid on the store clerk before setting him on fire following a confrontation, deputies said.

“He just splashed lighter fluid on my face,” the store clerk told KPIX, “I was so scared that moment. I tried to cover his hand, but I don’t know. I don’t remember. He just lit the fire on me, you know. I just rushed to the restroom, and I just splashed water on my face.”

The store clerk was sent to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, according to a GoFundMe page.

Burton was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, battery, arson causing bodily injury and robbery, officials said.

El Sobrante is about 20 miles northeast of San Francisco.

This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Man pours lighter fluid on store clerk and sets him on fire, California cops say."