Teen set ablaze on Oakland bus to leave hospital

An Oakland teenager who was set on fire after falling asleep on a bus earlier this month is expected to be released from the hospital in time for Thanksgiving.

The father of 18-year-old Sasha Fleischman told local reporters that his child, who has been undergoing treatment for second- and third-degree burns, will come home this week and may be back in school as early as next week.

“Sasha is really eager to get home,” Karl Fleischman said.

Authorities said Fleischman was asleep on a city bus Nov. 4 when the high-schooler’s skirt was set ablaze by Richard Thomas, a 16-year-old who did not know Fleischman, who identifies as neither male nor female.

Police said Thomas told an officer that he set the fire because he was “homophobic.” He has been charged with a hate crime as an adult, a decision that both his attorney and the victim’s family disagree with.

“There’s nothing in this case that suggests adult-type conduct,” Thomas’ attorney, William DuBois, told a Bay Area reporter.

Karl Fleischman told NBC Bay Area that the family does not think the case should play out in adult court. “Sasha has said to us ... that they don’t feel that a 16-year-old should be tried as an adult,” he said.

Karl Fleischman said Sasha has been focused on recovering over the last three weeks.

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Twitter: @katelinthicum