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Subscribe to RSSPolice in California are asking for the public's help after a man was firebombed as he was sitting outside a store, an event that was caught on a surveillance camera. Some viewers may find the video disturbing. NBC's Kristen Dahlgren reports.
Police on Sunday released surveillance video showing a brazen firebomb attack that left a man with burns from the waist down as he sat outside a busy market in Southern California.
Long Beach police released the video to see if they can find the person responsible for the Friday night attack.
It occurred when a man in his late 20s threw a Molotov cocktail at the victim while he was outside El Paisano Ranch Market in the 200 block of West Pacific Coast Highway, said Long Beach police Sgt. Aaron Eaton.
The video shows a ball of fire as a man is seen running from the scene.
Mother with baby in stroller near scene of attack
At the moment the bottle hits the ground, the fire explodes, barely missing a mother with a baby in a stroller.
The victim appears to be running through the parking lot where others can be seen trying to put out the flames.
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The firebombing victim was taken to the hospital where he was in serious condition. He was medically sedated, with serious burns to the lower part of his body, his hands and his face, police said.
The man, who is in his 50s, was not being identified due to concerns about his safety.
Police said it did not appear the victim and suspect knew each other and the case was likely not gang related.
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Eaton said the victim was minding his own business as he waited for his father to get food when the suspect came from an alley and threw a lighted bottle at him.
Anyone with more information about the crime was urged to call Long Beach, Calif., police at (562) 570-7260.
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