Son Admits Setting Dad On Fire At Birthday Party: La Junta Man Tells Father, 'You Are The Candle'

The Denver Channel ^ | January 4, 2005 | The Associated Press

[holymoly]

LA JUNTA, Colo. -- A man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for setting his father on fire two years ago as the two argued over whether kerosene was flammable.

Authorities said Thomas Martinez doused his father with kerosene, set him ablaze with a cigarette lighter and said: "You are going to die today -- happy birthday, you are the candle." Ernest Montoya, 58, died several weeks after the 2003 incident during his birthday party.

Martinez, 38, had been charged with first-degree murder and other charges. Sentencing was set for March 8, where he faces at least 16 years in prison with the possibility of parole in five years. Martinez's lawyer, Ray Torrez, described the fire as an impulsive act and said Monday that his client still feels he is not guilty. "It's in his best legal interest to plead this way," Torrez said.

[holymoly]

Martinez's lawyer, Ray Torrez, described the fire as an impulsive act

All the more reason to give him the maximum sentence. If he can't control his "impulses", he shouldn't be allowed to run loose in society.

[pissant]

Father gets a Darwin award for raising such an imbecilic, evil child.

[CaptainAwesome2]

Id like to see this guys head dunked in a pot of boiling oil.

[Who dat?]

...argued over whether kerosene was flammable.

Ha. Yep, sounds to me like alcohol/dope was involved. Well a "dope" was involved for sure, but...

[F16Fighter]

Debbie Boone ping...

[RckyRaCoCo]

or a Jim Morrison ping

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Let the richard pryor jokes commence...

[Billthedrill]

Kind of a long "impulse" if you ask me - long enough to procure kerosene and a lighter. Premeditated. Bye bye, sonny.

And kerosene is, to the best of my knowledge, flammable...

[Senator Pardek]

If that attorney was worth his salt, he could have easily had the charges dropped down to manslaughter by arguing that Montoya was the one who thought kerosene was not flammable...

[Jeff Head]

Sentencing was set for March 8, where he faces at least 16 years in prison with the possibility of parole in five years.

What are these people/judges thinking? This guy should be away for the rest of his natural life, or should be fried himself. Eligable for parole in five years? Unbelievable.

[AQGeiger]

Martinez's lawyer, Ray Torrez, described the fire as an impulsive act and said Monday that his client still feels he is not guilty.

The two must have had an amazingly close father-son relationship.

[AZLiberty]

I'm disappointed I didn't get to watch the progress of this case over the last year on Greta's show.

Not.

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

No Bob Crane ping?

[AZLiberty]

Martinez's lawyer, Ray Torrez, described the fire as an impulsive act and said Monday that his client still feels he is not guilty.

I suspect the key chemical was not kerosene, but ethanol.

[codyjacksmom]

Unbelievable. Possibility of being out in 5 years? After killing his father by setting him on fire? This guy should be put through the same torture he put his dad through.

[Spok]

"the two argued over whether kerosene was flammable."

Why it's illegal to marry your cousin...

[mikrofon]

The deceased Latino was a member of the Ignited Farm Workers of America...

[TexasTransplant]

"This guy should be put through the same torture he put his dad through"

and now to demonstrate the flammability of Yukon Jack...
If he lives let him try for probation in 5 years.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Kerosene is, of course, extremely flammable, but it has a pretty high ignition point. Idiot son probably thought he was being smart, and the lighter wasn't hot enough to actually ignite the kerosene.

[arasina]

ROFL! Sicko but funny.