Oregon man arrested after setting stranger ablaze at Denny's

ByTOM KUTSCH ABCNews logo
Friday, April 21, 2017

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 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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