Dona Ana County Man Loses Drinking Bet With Friends, Agrees To Be Set On Fire

A 47-year-old man was set on fire earlier this week after losing a drinking bet with friends, according to Dona Ana County Sheriff’s officials.

Sheriff’s deputies found the naked man walking on Highway 70 on July 5 with burns on his body. He was attempting to hitch a ride to Mountain View Hospital in Las Cruces after his friends who set him on fire refused to drive him to the hospital. He was sent to Mountain View Hospital and later flown to a burn center in Texas.

Sheriff’s officials did not release the victim’s name and did not say what condition he is in at this time.

The victim told Dona Ana County Sheriff’s deputies that he and some friends were at a residence in Butterfield drinking alcohol, when they decided to make a bet that whoever drank the least, would have to get set on fire.

The victim said that since he only drank six beers, which was the least amount among the group, he agreed to let his friends set him on fire because he lost the bet.

The victim, who has a prosthetic left leg, said one of the individuals set the plastic leg on fire and then spread to the victim’s buttocks and lower back area, causing severe burns.

Not being able to stand the pain, the victim took off his clothes.

The victim’s friends were going to take him to the hospital, but when they saw the amount of pain he was in and complaining of the pain, his friends became nervous about getting arrested and dropped the victim off on Highway 70.

When questioned by sheriff’s deputies if he had asked his friends to stop at any point in time while setting him on fire, he said he did not try to stop them because he had lost the bet.

One of the friends of the victim was later located and it was discovered there was a warrant for his arrest.