Police: Man lit another man on fire outside Murray gas station

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MURRAY — A man faces criminal charges after police say he threw gasoline on another man and lit him on fire outside a Murray gas station.

Israel Santillan Flores, 35, address unknown, is charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, stemming from the alleged attack in August.

Police were called on Aug. 30 to a Maverik gas station in Murray. Officers found the victim with burns “over a large portion of his body” and unable to speak, the charges say. He was taken to a hospital with second-degree burns on about 15% of his upper body.

Flores, who was still at the scene, told police he had picked up the victim at a homeless shelter in downtown Salt Lake City and the two men consumed methamphetamine together in Flores’ van while parked near the gas station, the charges say.

Flores said that while high on meth, he asked the victim to have sex with him. When the victim said no, Flores told police he “lost control,” threw a nearby container of gasoline on the victim, and lit him on fire, according to charging documents.

The victim then escaped the van and ran to the gas station, Flores said, where police were called.

The victim later told investigators that Flores said, “Watch this” or something similar before throwing the gasoline on him, then “clapped his hands and laughed” after he lit the man on fire, the charges say.

A judge on Thursday set bail for Flores at $100,000.