Man who set self on fire may face charges

Long Beach authorities on Friday recommended that arson charges be filed against a man who doused himself with gasoline and then set himself afire in Long Beach City Hall a day earlier.

Nancy Pratt, spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department, said the city’s police-and-fire arson unit was expected to present charges of attempted arson and arson with great bodily injury to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office next week. The man was listed in stable condition Friday as he underwent treatment.

“It will then be up to the D.A. to determine what, if any, charges to file,” Pratt said. “But we believe that what he did was serious -- he caused serious injuries to himself and, gosh, it could have turned into something more tragic than it was.”

However, a spokesman for the Long Beach Fire Department said it was not clear whether the department would recommend charges.

“The investigation is ongoing,” said spokesman Mike Duree. “But we are not moving in that direction as of today,” he said of criminal charges.

Also on Friday, Haouy Nguyen, 50, of Fountain Valley was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center burn unit with first-, second- and third-degree burns mostly above his waist, Pratt said.

Pratt said authorities have yet to determine Nguyen’s motive for igniting the gasoline with a cigarette lighter after murmuring something along the lines of “I want to kill myself” to a city employee at a public information booth just inside the entrance.

His alleged suicide attempt Thursday afternoon coupled with the discovery of a suspicious bag by law enforcement authorities responding to the incident prompted an evacuation of the 14-story City Hall building, as well as an adjacent library.

Police and bomb squad officers, Pratt said, “couldn’t verify the origin of the bag, or whether Nguyen brought it in with him. The bag was rendered safe. No explosives were found inside.”

Long Beach city spokeswoman Kathy Parsons said that arrangements were underway to provide counseling to employees who witnessed the incident.

“Security has been enhanced at City Hall,” she added. “Extra bike and foot patrols are working both inside and outside of the building.”

At City Hall on Friday, staffers worked to restore a sense of order and normalcy. Sandra J. Gonzalez, project management officer in the city Department of Public Works, issued a memo congratulating the nine-member custodial crew that started work at 4 a.m., removing fire retardant residue from the area.

“All work was completed by 6:30 a.m.,” Gonzalez said.

louis.sahagun@latimes.com