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Man pours gas on stranger at Denny's, lights him on fire, police say

Man pours gas on stranger at Denny's, lights him on fire, police say
Posted at 1:21 PM, Apr 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-21 14:21:19-04

A man is being sought by police in Oregon after he apparently poured gasoline onto a man at a Denny's restaurant and lit him on fire.

According to KATU-TV, the unknown suspect walked into the Denny's in Happy Valley, Oregon, sat in a booth near the victim, splashed liquid onto the man, tossed a "burning object" at him and then ran out the door.

The victim, a 69-year-old man, was in critical condition on Thursday, according to KATU. The victim apparently didn't know the man who lit him on fire.

The suspect was described as a man in his mid-to-late 20s. He apparently carries the flammable liquid in a water bottle.

An investigator called the attack a "random act of violence."

The incident may be connected to a similar one from earlier this week. On Sunday, a man dumped liquid onto someone at a Happy Valley movie theater and tried to set them on fire before running away, according to The Oregonian.

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Clint Davis covers entertainment and trending news topics for the Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis.