EL SOBRANTE, CA – A shocking incident unfolded in a Bay Area convenience store when a serial shoplifter set a store clerk’s head ablaze using stolen lighter fluid. The clerk, identified only as Suraj for his safety, attempted to prevent the theft when the suspect, Kendall Burton, retaliated in a horrifying manner.
The incident occurred on September 22 at the Appian Food and Liquor store in El Sobrante. Surveillance footage shows Suraj and Burton in a physical altercation before Burton douses Suraj’s head with lighter fluid and sets it alight. Another employee is seen rushing to Suraj’s aid with a baseball bat as the flames engulf Suraj’s head.
Suraj, who has been employed at the store for five years, recounted the terrifying ordeal. He said that while dealing with shoplifters was a common occurrence, he had never experienced anything of this magnitude. He was warned at the start of his shift that Burton had been in the store multiple times that day, stealing lighter fluid.
The attack left Suraj with severe second and third-degree burns on his face, neck, chest, and shoulder. He has been receiving treatment at San Francisco’s Saint Francis Memorial Hospital since the incident. The trauma of the event has deeply affected Suraj and his family, and he will require multiple surgeries to recover from his injuries.
Suraj’s wife, Sabeena, has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her husband’s physical and mental recovery. She expressed their overwhelming distress due to the mental trauma and the pressure of medical procedures.
Burton, a 38-year-old homeless man known to local authorities, was arrested following the incident. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office has charged him with assault with a deadly weapon. He also faces charges of battery, arson, and robbery. He is currently being held without bail.