Molotov Cocktail Burns Teen-Ager in Gang Attack
- Share via
A 17-year-old gang member was listed in fair condition Tuesday after his shirt was set ablaze by an exploding Molotov cocktail thrown from a passing car, Burbank police said.
The youth was talking on a pay phone at Buena Vista Street and Victory Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. Monday when a car with several rival gang members pulled up next to him, Sgt. Don Goldberg said.
An argument followed and a passenger leaned out and hurled a Molotov cocktail at the victim that exploded in flames, Goldberg said.
A friend of the victim who was inside a nearby convenience store smothered the flames with a jacket, Goldberg said.
The youth suffered first- and second-degree burns on his face, upper chest and back, said a spokeswoman for Sherman Oaks Community Hospital.
The youth admitted to police that he was a gang member, and that the men in the car were members of a rival gang, Goldberg said.
No arrests have been made, he said.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
