PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado man who threw gasoline on a friend and set him on fire, causing severe burns, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports 35-year-old Michael Scavarda, of Canon City, was sentenced Tuesday for the March 2017 attack on 41-year-old Jason Crowder. Scavarda was convicted of assault, arson and menacing but was acquitted of the most serious charge of attempted murder.
Investigators say he told them he was mad at Crowder for telling his girlfriend that he was cheating on her.
Scavarda was accused of waking Crowder as he slept in a pickup truck, throwing a cup of gasoline on him and setting him on fire. Crowder reportedly suffered burns on 40 percent of his body.
He pushed for mercy for Scavarda, saying "he was my friend for a long time."
