Lansing, Mich. — A Pontiac man was arraigned today on charges of assault to do great bodily harm after allegedly setting another man on fire during a violent incident in early February.
Joseph Lee Green, 30, was arrested in Detroit on Friday following the assault, which took place around 1:00 a.m. on February 5 in the 100 block of Cherryhill Rd. in Pontiac. According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Green used paper and a lighter to burn the victim, a 49-year-old man from Pontiac, causing severe injuries to his neck, arm, and body.
The sheriff’s office states that the assault was the result of a prior dispute between the two men that had occurred several weeks earlier. After the incident, the victim was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. Green, however, fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Green is currently being held at the Oakland County Jail, with bond set at $75,000/10 percent, which means he could be released with a payment of $7,500. Magistrate Michael Bosnic set the bond during Green’s arraignment earlier today. The 30-year-old is scheduled to appear in Pontiac’s 50th District Court for a probable cause conference on April 22, followed by a preliminary examination on April 29.
He faces a charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. Sheriff Michael Bouchard condemned the alleged actions, describing them as “heinous.” “It’s hard to imagine the cruelty we see in today’s society, for someone to literally light another human being on fire,” Bouchard said in a statement. “We need to send a very strong and clear message that people who commit these kinds of violent acts will be held accountable.”
The case has drawn attention for the brutality of the assault, highlighting the extreme nature of the violence involved. As the legal proceedings move forward, more details are expected to emerge about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
This case serves as a reminder of the alarming rise in violent crimes and the ongoing need for law enforcement and the justice system to hold offenders accountable for their actions.
