A California man was sentenced to life in prison after allegedly setting two people — including his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his children — on fire as they sat 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 San Bernardino County’s Johnson Valley, according to a press release shared by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office on Aug. 26.
The shocking events began on June 18 when the male victim, 29, went to clean up a rural property 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 parcel that contained a house and various trailers, RVs and outbuildings to help a friend who was out of town.
“The male victim borrowed a truck and headed out to the property,” the press release states. “He was unaware that Kaiser, the defendant’s mother and several others were living on the property.”
Per prosecutors, the man “recognized Kaiser from a previous encounter” and “helped Kaiser months earlier with his motorcycle when it ran out of gas.”
Prosecutors alleged that at one point Kaiser and his mother left the property to get gas. While away, Kaiser’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his two children approached the man and asked him to drive her off the property because “she and Kaiser had been arguing earlier in the day.”
However, his truck wouldn’t start.
Kaiser and his mother eventually returned to the property with a can full of gas. “The male victim was initially relieved that someone was there that could possibly help him jump start the truck,” according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors alleged Kaiser became angry when he spotted the two in the truck and told his ex-girlfriend: “You’re not going to like what’s going to happen next.”
As they sat in the cab of the truck, Kaiser allegedly walked away and then returned with the gasoline.
“Without warning, Kaiser doused both victims with gasoline and intentionally struck matches at them,” prosecutors alleged. “Kaiser continued to intentionally light them and the interior of the truck.”
“Kaiser walked around to the passenger’s side of the truck and using expletives said, ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ ” per prosecutors. “In a cold, calculated manner he continued throwing gasoline on the male victim.”
According to prosecutors, both victims were able to escape and taken to the hospital for treatment. The male victim, who spent 13 days in an induced coma, suffered burns on nearly eighty percent of his body. Kaiser’s ex-girlfriend suffered burns to half of her body.
Kaiser was arrested on July 5, 2023 and found guilty on March 13, 2024, KTLA 5reported.
At his recent sentencing, Judge Rasheed Alexander said he believed in mercy “but I’ve got to do what I think is right,” per the Hi-Desert Star. “I don’t like sentencing a man to that amount of time in prison, but that’s my job if it’s what is appropriate.”
Kaiser’s attorney Jason Whiteside told the judge he planned to appeal the conviction, according to the Star.
