Charges: Victim in coma after Minneapolis man doused him with gas, lit on fire

A Minneapolis man is accused of dousing a Brooklyn Center victim with a Big Gulp full of gasoline and lighting him on fire.

Charles Medgar Hall, 59, was charged Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree assault and a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office said in a phone interview that he has not been arrested. His whereabouts are unknown.

Court documents state that the victim is in critical condition at the hospital where he is intubated and in a medically induced coma.

The attack took place Dec. 1, when Brooklyn Center police responded to a call on Perry Avenue N. There officers found a severely burned victim, identified only as R.J. in court documents.

"Victim said that a male walked into his home, poured gasoline on him, and lit him on fire," according to the charges. The victim then became incoherent and was taken to the hospital where he has since undergone multiple surgeries and "his prognosis is uncertain."

Hall's son told police at the crime scene that R.J. called him earlier that day to say he was going to assault Hall. The son could hear the two men arguing during the call. The son then drove to the Brooklyn Center home and Hall asked to borrow his son's car.

Police say gas station surveillance video shows Hall filling a Big Gulp cup with gasoline. The son and R.J. left the house for about two and half hours. When they returned, Hall was there. Hall told his son to move and then threw what his son "thought was water onto victim. He then realized it was not water and victim was on fire," charges say.

Crime scene investigators noted obvious signs of fire damage in the home including black soot on the wall. They also located a melted green cup, butane torch and burned lighter, according to the charges.

Felony first-degree assault causing great bodily harm carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and/or a $30,000 fine. An attorney is not yet listed for Hall in this case.

A warrant was issued for Hall in June 2022 after he failed to appear at a court hearing for gross misdemeanor theft charges filed in February 2020. His public defender assigned to that case did not immediately respond to requests for comment.