An Inland Empire man, identified as Joshua Adam Kaiser, is now facing life behind bars after a brutal attack that left his ex-girlfriend and another man severely burned. According to a release from the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office, Kaiser received a sentence totaling life in prison followed by two 14-year-to-life terms served consecutively. The sentencing includes convictions for two counts of willful, deliberate, premeditated attempted murder, among other charges. KTLA reported these details in a recent article on the case.
The incident transpired on Father's Day 2023 when Kaiser poured gasoline on a pickup truck where the victims were located and set it on fire. Coverage by the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office revealed that after an argument with his ex-girlfriend earlier that day, Kaiser's rage manifested in a lethal attempt not just against her but also against a man who was merely there to help a friend with cleaning. After the truck failed to start, the male victim was initially hopeful for Kaiser's assistance, not knowing the violence that would soon unfold.
Kaiser's actions were detailed as having cold calculation as he set fire to the truck and then continued to assault the male victim, "using expletives" and saying "Happy Father's Day," as he doused him with gasoline. The account of the attack was partly based on prosecutors' statements made during the trial, which highlighted Kaiser's deliberate intent to harm and his subsequent indifference to the victims' suffering. As reported by Hoodline, the horrific event resulted in both victims sustaining critical injuries, requiring extensive hospitalization, and leaving them with long-term medical complications.
Following the attack, the woman, having burns "covering most of the left side of her body," found assistance, and the male victim, with severe, "full-circumference burns covering nearly eighty percent of his body," was eventually taken to meet paramedics at a local market. They initially sought help at Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree, where alarming details about the incident led to an urgent call to law enforcement. Not until Kaiser fled the scene on his motorcycle, leaving the victims amidst the chaos, was he apprehended on July 5, 2023. The information regarding the man's injuries was conveyed by the DA's release.
The trial involved testimonies from the victims and detailed analyses from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Arson and Bomb Detail. In the wake of their thorough investigation, the jury delivered guilty verdicts on all counts, effectively holding Kaiser accountable for his actions. San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus called for any further information regarding the case, urging cooperation to ensure comprehensive justice for the victims.
