(NEW YORK) — An Oregon man was arrested after police said he poured gasoline on a stranger and then lit him on fire at a Denny’s restaurant in Happy Valley, Oregon, ABC affiliate KATU reported on Thursday.
The 24-year old man, identified by police as Deshaun Swanger according to KATU, was arrested shortly before 8 p.m. local time. Police said the suspect poured liquid onto the victim, a 69-year old man who is now in critical condition, and then lobbed a burning object at him. The suspect then fled the scene.
“This just seems like a, a random act of violence,” said Sgt. Jason Ritter of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s office, according to the KATU report.
The victim was taken a local hospital, where he remained in critical condition as of Thursday, KATU said.
A surveillance tape recorded the suspect walking into the restaurant, and police put out a notice of his description.
He was later apprehended, with the local Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office tweeting, “We got him!”
We got him! #WorkingTogether pic.twitter.com/sRpwkDEOhQ
— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) April 21, 2017
“We are deeply disturbed by the senseless, random act of violence that took place at our franchised-owned Happy Valley restaurant, and our thoughts and prayers are with our guest that was seriously injured,” read a statement from a Denny’s spokesperson provided to KATU.
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