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Grand jury indicts man accused of setting girlfriend on fire

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COURTESY ATTORNEY GENERAL

Bobby Young-Townsend

A grand jury indicted a 25-year-old Kaneohe man accused of dousing his girlfriend with gasoline and then igniting it with a lighter.

The grand jury charged Bobby Young-Townsend with attempted second-degree murder, second-degree arson, second-degree terroristic threatening, car theft and resisting arrest, the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.

His bail was confirmed at $1 million.

Second-degree attempted murder, a felony, carries a penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The victim, 24, suffered second- and third-degree burns to her arms, legs and back in the Jan. 18 incident and was in the intensive care burn unit at Straub Clinic & Hospital.

According to a police affidavit, the victim and Young-Townsend argued while in a parked van on Lihikai Drive in Kahaluu after the victim said she wanted to go see her daughter. Young-Townsend said he did not believe her and accused her of seeing someone else, the affidavit said.

Townsend then grabbed a large fast-food restaurant cup filled with about 3-inches of gasoline and threw it on the victim. According to a court document, he “flicked” a lighter, but the victim pushed his hand away. He then flicked the lighter a second time, igniting the flammable liquid.

Paramedics took the woman in serious condition to Straub, where she is being treated for burns to 30 percent of her body.

Police arrested Townsend in Kailua on Thursday afternoon.

He has a criminal conviction record that includes third-degree assault, violating a temporary restraining order and harassment.

3 responses to “Grand jury indicts man accused of setting girlfriend on fire”

  1. mikethenovice says:

    With the possibility of parole? Sometime you wish that the crime was worst so he would get a harsher penalty.

  2. seaborn says:

    Just looking at the photo, it’s easy to conclude that he is not the best decision maker.

  3. joseph007 says:

    He is a mainland transplant obviously, and a psychopath. He’ll get 1 or 2 years in jail and be out on the street again thanks to our liberal courts.

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