Some sloppy arsonists in California set out to burn down a small business this week. They managed to set themselves on fire in the process.
The Bakersfield business Servicio de Imigracion’s security cameras captured video of masked men pouring and spraying gasoline on the outside of its building. They then lit the gas on fire, and flames instantly erupted while the two arsonists were standing nearby. The two bumbling criminals ran away screaming.
🚨VIDEO: Two arsonists set fire to themselves in Bakersfield, California pic.twitter.com/ZtCN3tHFMK
— Breaking News (@NewsJunkieBreak) January 4, 2023
Servicio de Inmigracion is a tax and immigration service. Local police are still working on investigating the crime scene.
The two men are shown on the security footage wearing dark clothing and bandanas covering their faces. A motion-activated floodlight lit up part of the area, but the criminals moved away.
One of the suspects manages to run away while flames engulf his right leg. The second man slipped and fell while running away. As he struggled to get up and run again, his right arm caught on fire, and he was heard screaming on the recording as he ran out of the camera’s view.
A second camera captured video of the second man showing his shirt and back also caught on fire.
Firefighters arrived quickly and were able to put the fire out entirely in less than 10 minutes. The city fire department reported that the damage from the fire was limited to a garage attached to the business.
Max Solorzano is the owner of the business. He told reporters he was disappointed in the Bakersfield city government for not keeping citizens and businesses safe.
He said, “We are a small business and we help many people, so there will be people who will not be able to receive our services due to inactivity. That is what most saddens me. We help many farmworker families with their immigration processes, we help people do taxes. We ask our clients to have patience with us, we will get through this.”
No known motive for the attack has been reported. As of Wednesday evening, authorities had not yet apprehended the two arsonists.
