It¡¯s been two days since the shocking crime and yet police have little to go on.
Why would someone walk into a gas station, set the well-liked attendant on fire and leave him to die?
Authorities have no motive, no suspects — and a $10,000 reward in the case hasn¡¯t helped.
The shocking crime, captured in a 15-second surveillance video, took place at a Shell gas station near the logging community of Burney in Northern California on Wednesday evening.
The video shows a masked man, in a yellow rain gear with a black hoodie and gloves, walk into the store. He then sprays the victim, 54-year-old David Wicks, with a flammable liquid, lights him on fire and walks out from behind the store counter.
The attacker then left on a black beach cruiser. A bike matching the description was found a few blocks away.
Paramedics arrived to find Wicks badly burned. He could only nod yes or no to their questions, Lt. Troy Clegg of the Shasta County Sheriff¡¯s Office said in a news conference Thursday.
Medics asked Wicks if he was intentionally targeted and he nodded yes, Clegg said. But Wicks couldn¡¯t offer any more information.
He was air lifted to a hospital, where he died.
¡°It¡¯s horrible. I really can¡¯t think of anybody that would ever do this to him,¡± customer Michael Lyons told CNN affiliate KHSL-TV in Chico, California.
Another customer told the station he was the type of person who was always smiling and made others feel better.
¡°I would see him regularly coming here and he just was always smiling,¡± Sharon Hanson recalled. ¡°We all have bad days and we wake-up on the wrong side of the bed but he always made you feel better.¡±
Secret Witness, which allows residents to call in tips anonymously, has offered a $10,000 reward for information.