Agender Teen Supports Reduced Sentence For Teen Who Set Him On Fire
OAKLAND (KCBS)— An Alameda County Superior Court Judge is reducing the sentence for a boy who set another teenager on fire while they were riding an AC Transit bus.
Richard Thomas had originally been sentenced to seven years behind bars after he pleaded no contest to assault for setting fire to Luke "Sasha" Fleischman's skirt in November of 2013.
The fire left Fleischman with second and third degree burns. But just days before his 18th birthday, Thomas caught a break and had his sentence reduced from seven to five years for making good progress in education programs since he's been in custody.
Thomas turns 18 on Thursday, which means he will be able to serve the rest of his sentence in a juvenile facility instead of state prison.
Despite the severity of the injuries, the teen who was attacked, Luke "Sasha" Fleischman, who identifies as agender, supports the reduced sentence.