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Crime

Man Douses Sleeping Homeless Woman with Flammable Liquid Then Sets Her on Fire in L.A.

Dec. 28, 2012 7:30am Jonathon M. Seidl

Man Arrested for Setting Homeless Woman on Fire in Los Angeles

Phil Furtado places candles on a burned city bus bench in Los Angeles on Thursday Dec. 27,2012. Police arrested a man for allegedly setting a 67-year-old woman on fire who was sleeping on the bus stop bench. . Credit: AP

LOS ANGELES (The Blaze/AP) — Police say the attack defies explanation: A man poured flammable liquid on a 67-year-old homeless woman as she slept on a bus bench in the San Fernando Valley, then lit a match and set her on fire.

A witness called 911, and police arrested 24-year-old Dennis Petillo a short time after the Thursday morning attack. He was booked for investigation of attempted murder and was held on $500,000 bail. It wasn’t immediately known if he had retained an attorney.

The assailant “just poured it all over the old lady,” the witness, Erickson Ipina, told reporters. “Then he threw the match on her and started running.”

Police released no details on Petillo. The victim’s name also was withheld, but the LA Times talked to locals who did provide an identity:

Police have not released her name, which residents said was Flo Parker. She was also known as Violet: a 5-foot-tall woman with dirty blond hair and a time-worn face that made her look older than her 67 years.

But for much of Thursday, her identity was secondary. Violet had become a symbol to some residents of both the dangers that face the homeless and the depths of human cruelty.

LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese told the Los Angeles Times it was unclear whether attacker spoke to the woman before allegedly setting her ablaze.

“There was no incident or dispute or clear motivation for this horrific attack. He did not know his victim. It defies explanation,” Albanese said. “He is not of sound mind. … The motive is mental illness.”

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.

The attack shocked nearby residents, and later Thursday about a dozen people held vigil around the charred bench, urging motorists to honk their horns in support of homeless rights. One sign placed on the bench read, “Our Prayers to Violet.”

Tej Deol, 31, who resides at a nearby sober living house, said the woman made the bench her home and often could be found sleeping there after sundown. He said he saw her Christmas Eve, getting ready to eat some soup.

“I told her, `Merry Christmas and happy New Year,’ and she said she was doing good,” Deol said. “She was so kind. She was happy to have someone talk to her.”

Robert Wyneken, 75, who volunteers at a nearby church, called her the “sweetest lady on the street” who supported herself by recycling cans and didn’t like to panhandle. He said there were efforts to get her housing and in contact with family, but she wouldn’t have it.

“I just think she had something in her life where she wanted to be alone,” he said. “She didn’t want to be a burden to anybody.”

A burned city bus bench seen in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Thursday Dec. 27,2012 after police arrested a man for allegedly setting a 67-year-old woman on fire who was sleeping on the bus stop bench. Credit: AP

Thursday’s incident was at least the third in Los Angeles County since October where people were set on fire.

Last week, a 55-year-old man was seriously injured when he was set ablaze as he slept outside a doughnut shop in Norwalk. Two months earlier, Long Beach police said Jacob Timothy Lagarde, 27, allegedly threw a lit Molotov cocktail at a man who had been waiting for his father outside a store. Lagarde has since been charged with attempted murder and five other counts.

Los Angeles police are investigating whether Petillo might be tied to any other similar crimes, but at this point detectives don’t believe he is, Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

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Comments (51)

jungle J
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:45am
allowing street people makes a lot of people a lot of money….mostly government workers..

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- Wojciech W.
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 10:16am
  Hahaha, wtf does it have to do with an old lady being murdered? YOU PPL need help staying on point. AND DON’T PUT LIT CANDLES ON THE BENCH? You might start a fire … too soon? Haha, IT’S LA, short for Los Angales … seriously, I hope there was one there to guide her into “His” open arms. God rest her soul.
  
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jungle J
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:43am
bring back the chain gang and bread and water…oh! yeah! the unions won’t allow it…and most of the liberals would end up on them.

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- NinjaJuice
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 4:03pm
  Unions wont allow it cause Chain gang takes their job away that they themselves won’t do. I say and eye for and eye.
  
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RIGS
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:40am
How much do want to bet that this guy is LIBERAL MORON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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- Izzy383
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:17am
  Anyone else noticing the age range of all these maniacs. Oregon shooter – 22, Aurora shooter – 24, Connecticut shooter – 20, and now this guy – 24. I would love to see the medical records of these guys and see if they had anything in common in their past. Of course lefties would probably claim some sort of confidentiality requirement because they were minors.
  
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breakobamanow
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:40am
Romans 3:-10-18
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

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StandingUpForAmerica
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:36am
Lighters and matches are to easy to obtain. Every truck stop department store convent store sales them no ID. needed. High capacity matches limits the matches to 3 pre pack. I have seen lighters so big you can’t use them to light a cig. most be for killing. Quick pass assault matches laws now.

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Uechi
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:31am
Ban all flammable liquids. If the nut job didn’t have that liquid the women would be fine. May be we should ban matches and lighters too.

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carbonated
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:23am
What we didn’t read is that the insane man first touched a gun, then the evil killing magic juju transferred from the gun to the normal pacifist man, who then was possessed by the evil kill juju. THEN he set the woman on fire. Not sure why he didn’t use the gun… Oh, ‘cuz that would be illegal. I forgot about that.

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taintso
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:11am
Did the guy use regular or assault matches, and were there more than 10 matches in the book or box. This critical information needed in order to write the match ban bill. Can’t blame the guy as he would be considered perfectly mental stable by L.A. standards.

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drivendouglas
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:00am
… This kind of behavior is EXACTLY what we get when we have a Utopian, European-minded, Socialist-geared, entitlement based, feel-good, no-spanking of children society that removes accountability from actions.. We punish the law-abiding citizen and protect the criminals.. ‘Why?’, you may ask.. Because chaos is the ONLY REASON people will be ready to accept the Police State that Obama and the Progressives wish to enact. Don’t believe me? Google; Indefinate Detention Bill

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drivendouglas
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:55am
Obama and his constituents realize banning weapons will NOT accomplish the cessation of these mass shootings.. The mass shootings are NOT WHAT THESE BANS ARE ABOUT.
They simply realize that an unarmed civilization is FAR more easily controlled and manipulated than an armed militia society who holds political members to the Constitution. They think they know better than we do about our lives.. And they use the media (which is owned by ppl who are JUST LIKE them) to convince the Luke-warm people of American video game culture that they know best.. Wake up America

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- BODYBAG
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:27am
  Life Is Going To Change Significantly For The Average American
  http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/52005
  
  “This guy is a revolutionary. He does not want to transform our country in the traditional sense. He will destroy it. And he’s not working alone. He’s not working for himself, either. He has his handlers. So don’t think this is going to be a walk in the park, with some type of attempt to rescue the country. Cloward-Piven. Alinsky. Marx. All rolled into one. And he won’t need the rest of his four years to do it.”
  
  Report this comment
- BODYBAG
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:30am
  DH: I need you to be clear. Let’s go back again, I mean, to those who speak out about what’s happening.
  
  RB: [Edit note: Obviously irritated] How much clearer do you want it? The Second Amendment will be gone, along with the first, at least practically or operationally. The Constitution will be gone, suspended, at least in an operational sense. Maybe they won’t actually say that they are suspending it, but will do it. Like saying the sky is purple when it’s actually blue. How many people will look at the sky and say yeah, it’s purple? They see what they want to see.
  
  Report this comment
cessna152
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:46am
Good thing carrying of guns is illegal in LA, otherwise this homeless person would be….ummmm….ahhhhhh….let me get back to you on that.

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- Trigus
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:00am
  Another senseless act of violence: He used a flammable liquid (instrument) and a match (Instrument). Right away it is ruled mental issues (contributing factor) as the motive.
  
  Why when senseless acts of violence involve a firearm, it is always the firearms fault, but when any other instrument is used, in a senseless act of violence, it is always the contributing factor (mental illness)?
  
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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:44am
.
They just need to take the guy out back douse him with gas and set him on fire, see if he likes it……

And I’ll bet you a dollar he won’t set anybody else on fire for the rest of his life………

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- jungle J
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:42am
  doofus.
  
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ResistSocialism
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:32am
Attacker probably relative of Pelosi

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:51am
  Considering how members of this administration and how democrats help with the care of their own family members I would not find it unusual if the victim were actually a blood relative of Pelosi.
  
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LatvianinUS
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:29am
Time to Ban flamable fluids, matches, benches, knifes. Let’s help Feinstein out. Also was that guy on Obama phone who called the police.

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Penn
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:20am
I guess Feinstein will propose a ban on lighter fluid, matches, park benches, sneakers, etc etc etc.

Meanwhile the homeless and mentally ill are left to fend for themselves.

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Landon410
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:19am
we need to ban fire, and flamable liquids, do you see how dangerous these things are? why would you want to risk murdering our children by letting people have fire and fire starting products?

a book of matches that comes wtih more than 10 match sticks? who would ever need such a thing?

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breakobamanow
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:04am
This is how we got here
Romans 1:28-32
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

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DianneM
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:03am
At some point mental illness becomes an excuse to be evil. This man was evil to commit this act. The tendency to blame evil on some sort of tenuous illness, rather than evil excuses it in smaller quantity. We know that if we are sick we go to a doctor. We deal with the problem. But with evil, we simply label it as a mental illness and let them go on by the wayside. We are to a point as a culture that whomever commits an evil act is simply “mentally ill”. Depression, insomnia, anxiety are mental illnesses, but none of them alone will cause a person to act like this. Evil is what causes a man to act like this. All the gun control, or mental health funding in the world will not stem the tide until we call this exactly what it is and face reality that we are looking at evil in our world.

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- AlansTigg
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:36am
  the problem is the “enlightened” do not believe in the concept of evil
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:53am
  ALANSTIGG, I disagree. Republicans and conservatives in general are constantly called evil, but that is their only concept of people being evil.
  
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SacredHonor1776
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:01am
So this time it isn’t self-immolation, and then blaming it someone else as racism?

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ZAP
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 7:50am
PLEASE pray for this women and ask God to forgive this man because he knows noe what he did

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- Dagnabbit5
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 8:49am
  I agree with first part, not with second. That verse said by Jesus is specific about that the people did not know he was the Christ and were being whipped up by the Pharisee’s. This guy knew exactly what he was doing. He can pray for forgiveness but still has to pay for his crime.
  
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- Cavallo
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 9:27am
  How do you know he didn’t know what he was doing?
  “… It defies explanation,” Albanese said. “He is not of sound mind. … The motive is mental illness.”
  This is just the initial view of Albanese in which he states it defies explanation and the only explanation he seems to be able to come up with is mental illness. Just like James Holmes? Does no one ever consider incalculable evil as a motive? Would not an extreme vile and evil personality be classified as mental problems? Then the evil is given our sympathies, the monster given pity.
  
  I know I asked this previously, I’ll have to look into the cost, but what happened to mental institutions and insane asylums? Do we not lock up vile and twisted and dangerous people anymore, or is it we just do so on an outpatient basis where we pump them full of anti-psychotics and hope they take their medication on a regular basis?
  
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Extremerightwing
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 7:47am
The officer stated it was mental illness, so you think if he had any access to firearms, would there be more children dead? My point is, nobody is blaming the liquid, or match, but the motive is mental illness, can we look logically at the other shootings? I smell bias, and conspiracy to steal our guns from us.

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Aaronman
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 7:47am
Next week you’ll be able to trade your flammable liquids for a gift card, no questions asked. I still don’t think that’s going to stop insane people from doing insane stuff.

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woodyee
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 7:45am
The attack shocked nearby residents, and later Thursday about a dozen people held vigil around the charred bench, urging motorists to honk their horns in support of homeless rights.”

Sunshine friends – who needs them…

It’s time we ban flammable liquids. If it saves just one life, it is worth giving up something you’ve NO Constitutional right to.

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GoodCook
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 7:44am
The solution is obvious to any liberal ban gasoline.

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love the kids
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 7:40am
He lives in California, it’s for sure that he has a mental illness

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