Man sets a homeless man on fire, faces life in prison
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man accused of intentionally setting a tent ablaze on skid row, killing a homeless man, was charged Wednesday with capital murder.
Jonathan Early, 38, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom in connection with the death of the 62-year-old man.
The victim was identified by the District Attorney’s Office as Dwayne Fields, but officials with the Los Angeles Community Action Network — a group working to combat homelessness and provide services for the poor — said the victim was Darrell Fields, a longtime skid row resident.
The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Early.
Early allegedly set the tent ablaze near Sixth and San Pedro Streets on Monday night and was taken into custody a short time later. Fields died the following morning as a result of his injuries.