SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. – On Monday, June 19, 2023, in the early morning hours around 1:04 a.m., deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call for service at Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree. Medical personnel at the hospital called law enforcement to report that a male and female were in the emergency room being treated for severe burns. The male patient had severe, full-circumference burns covering nearly eighty percent of his body. The female patient had burns covering most of the left side of her body.
Hospital staff became alarmed when the female victim reported that she and the male victim were intentionally set on fire by a male assailant. The female victim told medical staff that the assailant threw gasoline on them and lit them both on fire as they sat in a pickup truck.
The attending ER physician indicated in his assessment that the male victim “had a high probability of imminent or life-threatening deterioration which required [his] direct attention, intervention and personal management.” The physician ordered the male victim intubated to secure a viable airway due to “burns in the oropharynx.” The male victim spent the next three weeks under intensive care, including thirteen days in an induced coma. He remains under medical treatment for his severe scarring and increased susceptibility to infection.
While still at Hi-Desert Medical Center, Deputies from San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department contacted the female victim as she was treated in the emergency room who explained that she and the male burn victim were intentionally set on fire by her ex-boyfriend – and father of her two children – Joshua Adam Kaiser.
An investigation involving multiple detectives and deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; arson investigators from the San Bernardino County Fire Department; and specialists from the Sheriff Department’s Arson / Bomb Detail began. The following is a summary of the finding of the investigation:
In the afternoon of June 18, 2023, the male victim went to a residence in the unincorporated community of Johnson Valley within San Bernardino County. The residence is a rural, five-acre parcel west of State Highway 247. The property has one main fixed residence and a slew of inhabited trailers, RVs, and outbuildings. There is currently no electricity at the property. The residents in the main house and various outbuildings rely on a series of gas-powered generators for electricity.
The male victim went to the property at the request of his friend, who was going to be away from the property for several months, and he asked for help with property cleanup. The male victim borrowed a truck and headed out to the property. He was unaware that Kaiser, the defendant’s mother, and several others were living on the property. The male victim did not personally know anyone at the property, but he recognized Kaiser from a previous encounter. He helped Kaiser months earlier with his motorcycle when it ran out of gas.
Late in the afternoon, Kaiser and his mother told the male victim they were leaving to get gas because the generator powering the main house was empty. During the hours they were gone, the male victims’ wireless phone ran out of battery power. With no way to charge it, he decided to leave. In what would prove to be a series of ill-fated misfortunes, the truck he borrowed would not start. Soon it was dark, and he was stranded at the property.
As nighttime fell, the female victim walked out of the main house towards the male victim. She told him that she and Kaiser had been arguing earlier in the day, and she needed a ride away from the property. Male victim told her that he could not get the truck started.
Kaiser and his mother finally returned to the residence, Kaiser carrying a gas can and a bag of dog food. The male victim was initially relieved that someone was there that could possibly help him jump start the truck. Kaiser walked towards the truck and upon seeing his ex-girlfriend said, “You’re not going to like what’s going to happen next.” apparently becoming increasingly angry.
Kaiser walked away and returned to the main house explaining to his mother how mad he was. Kaiser said that once he made the conscious decision to set the fire, his rage turned towards the female victim. Unfortunately, the male victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered the results of Kaiser inexplicable rage.
THE ATTACK
Moments later, he returned to the pickup truck where the victims were still seated. Without warning, Kaiser doused both victims with gasoline and intentionally struck matches at them. Kaiser continued to intentionally light them and the interior of the truck on fire. For a moment, both victims were pinned inside the truck burning alive. The male victim pushed towards the passenger side and the female opened the door. They both exited and dropped to the dirt attempting to put out the flames.
Kaiser walked around to the passenger’s side of the truck and using expletives said “Happy Father’s Day,!” In a cold, calculated manner he continued throwing gasoline on the male victim. The male victim tried to run away, which further fanned the flames. Subsequently he dropped to the ground again and rolled in the dirt. Mercilessly, Kaiser doused him with gasoline a third time and continued to strike him with matches.
Finally, the male victim got away from Kaiser and hid in some bushes. He heard Kaiser run towards the north portion of the property and start his motorcycle. Once he heard Kaiser heading east towards State Highway 247, he walked from the bushes back towards the main house where female victim was already trying to get help.
Eventually, another witness took the male victim to a local market to meet responding paramedics and EMTs, and the female victim had her boyfriend take her to Hi-Desert Medical Center.
During trial, prosecutors relied heavily of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Arson and Bomb Detail analysis of the crime scene, medical personnel and EMT’s reports and the courageous testimony of the victims of the attack.
The jury did an outstanding job evaluating every element of the charges, and listening intently to each testimony, ultimately returning guilty verdicts on all charges including: two counts of Willful, Deliberate, Premeditated Attempted Murder pursuant to PC § 664/187(a); two counts of Arson Causing Great Bodily Injury pursuant to PC § 451(a); and one count of Domestic Violence pursuant to PC § 273.5(a). The jury also found true all special allegations, including Personal Infliction of Great Bodily Injury pursuant to PC § 12022.7(a)/(e) and Personal Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon pursuant to PC § 12022(b)(1).
Kaiser was sentenced to 20 years state prison to be followed by two consecutive life sentences of 14 years to life for each victim.
This case was submitted to our office by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department after extensive investigative efforts, and successfully prosecuted Deputy District Attorney Jason Gueltzow of our Morongo Basin District Attorney’s Office. The Honorable Judge Rasheed Alexander presided over the trial.
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