VAN NUYS (CNS) – A man who set himself on fire Feb. 17 in the restroom of a Starbucks in Van Nuys was hospitalized in extremely critical condition, authorities said.
Shortly after the man entered the restroom, “bystanders heard an explosive sound in the area, and the patient staggered from the bathroom engulfed in flames, and collapsed near the front entrance,” said Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“Patrons assisted in extinguishing the flames,” he said.
Firefighters sent to the coffee shop at 15355 W. Sherman Way at 8:18 a.m. took the man to a hospital for treatment of burns that covered about 90 percent of his body, Scott said.
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the man, who they said is about 60 years old and possibly a transient.