Joshua Kaiser, 33, was found guilty of arson, attempted murder and domestic violence in the June 18, 2023, attack in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County Prosecutor’s Office
Josh Kaiser sentenced to life in prison for dousing ex-girlfriend and stranger with gasoline
A California man has been sentenced to life in prison after allegedly setting two people on fire, including his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his children, while they were in a pickup truck.
Joshua Kaiser, 33, was found guilty of two counts of arson, two counts of attempted murder and one count of domestic violence in the June 18, 2023, attack in Johnson Valley in San Bernardino County, according to a press release shared Aug. 26 by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
The shocking events began on June 18 when the male victim, 29, went to clean up a rural lot in the 52000 block of Cholla Road in the unincorporated community of Johnson Valley. According to the press release, he went to the five-acre lot, which contained a home and several trailers, campers and outbuildings, to help a friend who was out of town.
“The male victim borrowed a truck and drove to the property,” the press release said. “He was unaware that Kaiser, the suspect’s mother and several others lived on the property.”
Prosecutors said the man “recognized Kaiser from a previous encounter” and “helped Kaiser with his motorcycle months earlier when it ran out of gas.”
Prosecutors alleged that at one point Kaiser and his mother left the lot to get gas. While they were gone, Kaiser’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his two children approached the man and asked him to drive her off the lot because “she and Kaiser had gotten into an argument earlier in the day.”
But his truck wouldn’t start.
San Bernardino County Prosecutor’s Office
Kaiser and his mother eventually returned to the lot with a can of gasoline. “The male victim was initially relieved that there was someone who could possibly help him start the truck,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Kaiser became angry when he saw the two in the truck and told his ex-girlfriend, “You’re not going to like what’s going to happen next.”
While they were in the cab of the truck, Kaiser walked away and then returned with the gasoline.
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest crime reporting? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
“Without warning, Kaiser doused both victims with gasoline and intentionally lit matches on them,” prosecutors alleged. “Kaiser continued to intentionally set them and the interior of the truck on fire.”
“Kaiser walked to the passenger side of the truck and said, ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ in an expletive-laden manner,” prosecutors said. “In a cold, calculated manner, he continued to pour gasoline on the male victim.”
Prosecutors said both victims were able to escape and were taken to a hospital for treatment. The male victim, who was in a medically induced coma for 13 days, suffered burns over nearly 80 percent of his body. Kaiser’s ex-girlfriend suffered burns over half of her body.
Kaiser was arrested on July 5, 2023, and found guilty on March 13, 2024, KTLA 5 reported.
At his recent sentencing, Judge Rasheed Alexander said he believed in mercy, “but I have to do what I think is right,” the Hi-Desert Star“I don’t like sentencing a man to such a long prison term, but if it is appropriate, that is my job.”
According to the Star, Kaiser’s attorney Jason Whiteside told the judge he planned to appeal the conviction.
Whiteside was not available for comment.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Sign up for our newsletter for more People news!
Read the original article on People.
