Police: Homeless man attacked while sleeping, set on fire

VENTURA, Calif. -- Police are looking for three men in connection with the Jan. 15 attempted murder of a homeless man who was set on fire while he slept, reports CBS Los Angeles.

Police received a call around 11 p.m. from an adult male who said he found 58-year-old John Frazier in flames and extinguished the fire with sand, Dolan said.

When officers arrived on scene, they found Frazier and some of his personal items "still smoldering," according to Ventura Police Cpl. William Dolan.

Investigators later determined Frazier had been asleep in his sleeping bag when the attack began.

"John awoke to three males pouring lighter fluid on him and then lighting him on fire," said Dolan.

Frazier sustained burns over nearly 40 percent of his body. He was transported to a local burn unit with second- and third-degree burns to his upper torso and face, Dolan said.

Police released surveillance photos of three individuals walking in the area at the time of the incident. They are described as two white males and one female in their late teens or early 20s. The males are believed to have shaved heads and were dressed in dark clothing.

According to Dolan, these individuals are not being called suspects, but are identified as being in the area near the time the incident occurred.