Man Sentenced for Setting Double-Amputee on Fire in Minneapolis
A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for setting a fire that seriously injured a man in a wheelchair.
Officers responded to the scene near Glenwood Avenue and Twins Way on Dec. 5, 2023, after getting reports that the victim had been set on fire near Target Field.
When they arrived, they found a 57-year-old double-amputee with severe burns, lying on the ground. His wheelchair was also heavily damaged by the fire.
The victim told police that someone had lit his tent on fire and that he heard the suspect say “burn in hell” before the flames spread. Surveillance footage from the area showed a man approaching th tent just before the fire started. Investigators later located a suspect at a nearby gas station and matched his appearance to the person seen in the video.
Anthony Curtis Leikas, 34, was arrested and charged in connection to the fire. He later pleaded guilty to first-degree assault causing great bodily harm and a judge sentenced him to 158 months in prison.
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