Man who was set on fire at Glendale bus stop has died

GLENDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A man who was set on fire at a West Valley bus stop earlier this month has died, according to the Glendale Fire Department and the Glendale Police Department.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, July 3, Glendale police and firefighters responded to reports of a man on fire at a Circle K store near 59th and Olive avenues. When they arrived, they found 30-year-old Blake Angerer fully engulfed in flames and witnesses trying to put out the fire by pouring water on him. He was rushed to a hospital with third-degree burns covering over 70% of his body. On Tuesday morning, police confirmed Angerer died from his injuries.

Witnesses told police that 41-year-old Luciano Simmons had been in the store a short time before the incident to buy $1 worth of gasoline. He reportedly filled a water bottle with gas, walked to the nearby bus stop, and poured it on Angerer as he slept on a bench. Then Simmons allegedly started the fire using a blue butane torch. Surveillance video shows Angerer being set on fire and running toward the Circle K for help. Warning: Graphic video.

About 30 minutes later, the store clerk spotted Simmons across the street and told officers, who took him into custody. Simmons was arrested and initially charged with aggravated assault. It’s unclear if or when charges could be modified in light of Angerer’s death.

Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.