Burned Alive In Joshua Tree: Man Sentenced After Lighting 2 On Fire

JOSHUA TREE, CA — After being repeatedly doused with gasoline and lit on fire in Joshua Tree, a man and woman are still recovering from their injuries more than a year later.

Meanwhile, the man accused of burning them alive was recently sentenced in the case to two consecutive life terms along with 20 years in state prison.

Earlier this year, a jury found 33-year-old Joshua Adam Kaiser guilty of two counts of willful, deliberate, premeditated attempted murder; two counts of arson causing great bodily injury; and one count of domestic violence. The jury also found true all special allegations, including personal infliction of great bodily injury and personal use of a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Records show Kaiser was received at North Kern State Prison on Aug. 14.

According to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, Kaiser tortured the victims, one of whom was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The violence began to unfold on June 18, 2023, after the male victim went to a rural property in the unincorporated community of Johnson Valley at the request of a friend.

The buddy was leaving for several months and asked the victim if he could do some work cleaning up the place. The five-acre spread west of state Highway 247 had one main residence and a slew of inhabited trailers, RVs, and outbuildings. There was no electricity, though gas-powered generators were onsite, according to the DA's narrative.

The victim borrowed a truck and headed out, thinking he would be alone on the property, unaware that Kaiser and his mother, along with several other people, were living at the site.

Once the victim arrived and sized up the situation, he realized he didn't know any of the people, though he recognized Kaiser from a previous encounter: Months earlier, the victim helped Kaiser when his motorcycle ran out of gas.

Things started out seemingly calm. Kaiser and his mother told the victim they were leaving to get gas because a generator powering the main house was empty. While they were gone, the victim's cell phone ran out of battery power. With no way to charge the device, he decided it was time to leave.

"In what would prove to be a series of ill-fated misfortunes," the borrowed would not start, according to the DA's office.

It was getting dark — the victim was stranded.

As night fell, a woman came out of the main house. She told the victim that she and Kaiser were arguing earlier in the day, and she needed a ride away from the property. The woman and Kaiser were a couple with two children together, but they had split, according to the DA.

Without a working vehicle, however, neither she nor her new acquaintance were going anywhere.

After some time, Kaiser and his mother returned to the property. He was carrying a gas can and a bag of dog food, the DA said.

The victim told investigators he was relieved that someone was finally there to help him jump-start the truck.

But Kaiser was in no mood to assist.

When Kaiser saw his ex-girlfriend and the victim sitting in the truck, he became enraged, according to the DA, which quoted Kaiser as saying, "You're not going to like what's going to happen next."

Kaiser walked to the main house, telling his mother how mad he was.

Moments later, he returned to the pickup, and the terror began.

"Without warning, Kaiser doused both victims with gasoline and intentionally struck matches at them," according to the DA. "Kaiser continued to intentionally light them and the interior of the truck on fire. For a moment, both victims were pinned inside the truck burning alive."

Both victims escaped the vehicle and rolled on the ground to put out the flames that were enveloping them.

Using expletives, Kaiser offered no assistance and instead said, "Happy Father's Day," according to the DA's narrative.

"In a cold, calculated manner, he continued throwing gasoline on the male victim. The male victim tried to run away, which further fanned the flames. Subsequently, he dropped to the ground again and rolled in the dirt. Mercilessly, Kaiser doused him with gasoline a third time and continued to strike him with matches," according to the DA.

The male victim eventually escaped Kaiser's rage by hiding in some bushes. Once he heard Kaiser start his motorcycle and head out toward the highway, he came out of the brush and discovered the ex-girlfriend already calling for help.

By the early morning hours of June 19, 2023, the two victims were receiving emergency treatment at Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree. Medical staff there contacted the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department after the woman told them she and the man were crime victims.

The man was in dire shape. He had burns covering nearly 80% of his body and was intubated to secure a viable airway due to "burns in the oropharynx," according to the DA.

He spent the next three weeks under intensive care, including 13 days in an induced coma. He still remains under medical treatment for severe scarring and increased susceptibility to infection, the agency reported.

The woman had burns covering most of the left side of her body. An update on her condition was not available.

The victims' identities were not released.

The DA's office called their testimony during Kaiser's trial "courageous," adding, "The jury did an outstanding job evaluating every element of the charges, and listening intently to each testimony, ultimately returning guilty verdicts on all charges ... ."