Man Set Afire Outside Long Beach Store Dies Monday

A 63-year-old man died today of burns he suffered when he was set on fire by a flammable substance thrown into his parked vehicle - allegedly by a homeless man - outside a Long Beach 7-Eleven.

The victim, whom police identified Monday afternoon as Jerry Payne of Long Beach, died about 2 a.m. at a hospital, said coroner's Chief Craig Harvey.

Shortly after the fire, Raymond Sean Clark, described as a 38-year-old transient, was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder and two misdemeanor failure-to-appear warrants, said Long Beach police Sgt. Aaron Eaton. Clark will now face a probable murder charge.

The attack occurred about 5:15 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the 7- Eleven near Clark Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, Eaton said.

"The victim was just sitting there (in his SUV) minding his own business," the sergeant said.

Clark was arrested about a block away, after witnesses to the attack pointed him out to arriving officers, Eaton said.

Witnesses told ABC7 that the homeless man asked the victim for money, but was turned down. The victim then went into the store to make a purchase, came out and was sitting in his Toyota 4-Runner when the attack occurred, the witnesses said.

Robert Linkroum, who was inside the store at the time, told reporters the suspect threw a bottle into an open window of the SUV, which immediately burst into flames. Video showed the Toyota 4-Runner completely engulfed in flames. The flames also spread to a car parked next to the SUV.

Eaton said investigators had no information that two men knew one another or had a confrontation before the attack. But Monday afternoon, they were seeking any witnesses to the crime or aftermath who may not have come forward.

Clark was being held in lieu of $502,200 bail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff"s Inmate Reception Center.

--City News Service contributed to this report