Fourteen-Year-Old Boy Lit on Fire at a Party

Feb. 25, 2011 — -- Eight young men have been arrested for allegedly burning a 14-year-old boy at a house party on Valentine's Day in Denver, Colo.

"Why anything would do anything like that in good conscious is a mystery," said a spokesman for the Denver Police Department.

The police received a phone call around 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 14, reporting that a juvenile male was in need of medical attention.

The boy was found and transported to Children's Hospital, where he was treated for burns to his hands, chest, neck and face. According to the arrest warrant, the boy sustained "breaks, fractures" and "burns of the second or third degree." The boy's name and current medical condition were not disclosed by police.

Erick Perez, 20, Damian Sibayan, 18, Cody Cummings, 19, and David Ingram, 19 - were arrested yesterday on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder and felony child abuse, among other charges. Michael Bellefeuille, 21, Joshua Baffo, 19, Robert Freeman, 19, and Robert Rieneau – were arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse, among other charges including contributing to the delinquency of a minor and tampering with a witness/victim.

Erick Perez allegedly told investigators that he and his friends hosted the party at his home. There were approximately 20 people present, many of whom were underage and consuming alcohol, marijuana and a drug called "Triple Cs."

Perez admitted that the victim had in fact been in his house at the party. He said that the young boy was so intoxicated and high on "Triple Cs" that he passed out.

Cummings told police that the boy was so "f***ed up" "we thought he'd overdosed."

While the victim was unconscious, Perez and another man wrote several things on the boy's body, Bellefeuille told investigators.

When he woke up, the victim said, "someone light me on fire," according to Perez.

Perez claimed that he went to the backyard with other men and the victim, who poured lighter fluid on himself. Another partygoer named "Damien" allegedly lit the boy on fire as Perez watched from a few feet away.

"I didn't stop it because I was intoxicated," Perez allegedly told investigators.

"I wanted to see someone lit on fire," said Bellefeuille.