1 accused of lighting truck, man on fire

Stuart James Collins to face arson charges; Jose Gonzales suffers burns on 61% of body

MARATHON, Fla. – A North Carolina man will face two second-degree felony arson charges after the Monroe County Sheriff's Office accused him of lighting a truck on fire, burning a man inside it.

Deputies arrested 28-year-old Stuart James Collins on Friday. He will be charged with arson with great bodily harm and arson with property damage.

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According to deputies, Collins and 52-year-old Jose Gonzales had an argument at JJ's Doghouse bar. Investigators believe the argument was over a woman.

Afterwards, Collins lit the truck on fire using a gasoline can that he overturned, police said. Gonzales was in the cab of the truck when it burned.

Gonzales suffered second and third-degree burns on 61 percent of his body, including on his arms, legs, back, and head. He was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The truck fire also damaged JJ's Doghouse bar.