Eugene man set on fire during assault
EUGENE, Ore. - Eugene police say at about 3 a.m. Saturday morning an unknown assailant lit a man on fire.
The victim reported that he was walking on the sidewalk near East Broadway and High Street when he heard footsteps and was bumped from behind. As he turned around, there was the sound of fire quickly igniting and he was on fire. He said he stopped, dropped and rolled. After the fire was out, he walked to the Campus Inn on East Broadway, and called out for help from an employee.
He was taken to a local hospital with what appear to be non-life threatening but painful burns on his hands and face.
Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy issued this statement Sunday about the incident:
"This is a horrible crime that is very disturbing to all of us who love this community. I am confident that with excellent police work and the help of community members, the perpetrator will be brought to justice. Again this incident occurred in a particular area that has recently been a challenge. We are focusing significant efforts at addressing public safety concerns downtown; we will continue to do so and we need cooperation from area business owners and community members to be successful. I am deeply concerned that the victim of this crime is once again a member of our community who is homeless. Violence against any person is unacceptable. We will continue to hone in on this problem and resolve it."
Police need your help in solving this crime. Anyone with information about this assault is asked to call Detective Tony Veach at (541) 682-5172. The victim is described as a homeless 43-year-old African American male, approximately 5-feet-7-inches tall and 290 pounds. There is no description of the assailant. Police hope someone in the area saw the victim and can provide clues about events surrounding the assault.
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