SAN DIEGO — A man who told local media he was the victim of a hate crime attacked a pregnant woman in Downtown San Diego before she set him on fire, according to SDPD.
San Diego Police Department said they were dispatched to the 900 block of 6th Avenue on June 12 following reports that a man attacked a pregnant woman, according to Lieutenant Adam Sharki with the San Diego Police Department.
Officers arrived on the scene "within minutes," but the suspect accused of attacking the woman had already fled the scene, Lt. Sharki said.
"The pregnant woman was bleeding and was suffering from multiple injuries. Paramedics from San Diego Fire-Rescue transported the pregnant woman to a local hospital for treatment," Lt. Sharki said in a press release.
A little more than an hour after the pregnant woman was attacked, San Diego police received another 9-1-1 call from a man who reported someone had set him on fire.
"Investigators determined that this man was the suspect who battered the pregnant woman from the earlier incident at 900 6th Avenue," Lt. Sharki clarified, referring to the initial suspect who attacked the pregnant woman.
Investigators were able to determine by reviewing security camera video that captured the attack that the pregnant woman set the suspect with burn injuries on fire.
CBS 8 received a phone call from a source familiar with the situation who pitched the situation for coverage and said the suspect was attacked for being a gay man and had slurs hurled at him during the attack.
Producers with CBS 8 reached out to the suspect interested in media coverage but did not immediately hear back from him.
"This is a complex investigation and detectives are examining all aspects and allegations. The San Diego Police Department takes all crimes of violence extremely seriously. We recognize the community’s interest in this case and are working to balance transparency with protecting the active criminal investigations," Lt. Sharkie said.
Anyone with information regarding the attacks is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
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