A Central California man has been convicted for setting an elderly homeless woman on fire during an incident last year, prosecutors said.
San Joaquin District Attorney Ron Freitas’ office announced Friday that a jury convicted 68-year-old Louie Martinez of attempted murder and arson. Martinez was convicted in connection with a Feb. 2025 incident in downtown Lodi, where prosecutors said he set fire to the bedding of a woman sleeping outdoors near an intersection.
“This was a callous and depraved act of violence against one of our most vulnerable community members,” Freitas said in a statement. “Setting an elderly person on fire while they slept is an attack on human decency itself. Thanks to the diligent work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, justice has been served, and this dangerous individual will now face severe consequences for his actions.”…