Rohnert Park Hitchhiker Severely Burned After Setting Fire To Pickup Truck Following Ride

ROHNERT PARK (CBS SF) -- A hitchhiker who threatened the driver of a pickup truck in Rohnert Park was seriously injured after setting himself on fire while also setting the truck on fire, police said.

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety said officers received a report of a vehicle on fire at the Rancho Feliz Mobile Home Park on the 6600 block of Redwood Drive at about 5:14 p.m. Thursday.

Witnesses also reported that a man got out of the truck with his clothing on fire and ran away, DPS said. Arriving officers and firefighters found the truck which was no longer on fire and the owner, who was not injured.

The owner told officers he had given the man a ride to the mobile home park and when they arrived, the hitchhiker told the owner to take him to another location. After the owner refused, the suspect poured an unknown liquid inside the truck and threatened the owner, DPS said.

The owner still refused to take him to another location so the suspect lit a match and dropped it inside the truck, according to police. The owner jumped out of the truck, causing it to roll into a pole, as the lit match set the inside of the truck and the suspect's clothing on fire, DPS said.

The suspect ran off with his clothing on fire, while the owner and some bystanders extinguished the fire inside the truck.

Officers were able to identify the suspect as 47-year-old Jason Bartlett of Rohnert Park, who is currently on parole. After a search of the area, he was eventually located on the creek path behind the mobile home park suffering from serious injuries.

Bartlett was taken to the hospital and was to face charges in the case, DPS said.