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.

Why Didn't Anyone Call 911?

The young boy ran around in circles as he was burning, Bellefeuille told police.

Bellefeuille said he didn't call 911 because he had marijuana on him. "No one called 911 because everyone was scared, since paramedics and police ask questions. No one wanted to call 911 because the police break up parties," he said.

Cummings said that after the boy was burned, he was in pain so "I gave him some weed."

Another partygoer caught the incident on his cell phone camera, and tried to upload it to YouTube, but had since deleted it, according to Perez.

According to one girl present at the party, Perez and Cummings told guests a story to repeat if investigators asked questions. Cummings and Baffo repeatedly held the victim in choke holds and made him pass out, she told investigators.

After the boy was set on fire, the men laughed about it, and Perez would not allow anyone to call 911, the girl told investigators.

"I was not allowed to do anything," she said. "I was told to lie if I was taken into an interview. And if not, me and my family would get hurt…they know where I live, they know my family, they've seen my brother, and they told me that if I was a snitch that my family would be in danger."

The suspects have all been taken into custody and their cases will be presented to prosecutors for consideration of formal charges.