[PebbleBridge]

Hope this hasn't been posted before, but it is extremely heart wrenching. It's good to know that he did survive this attack although not without scars, both physical and mental, I'm sure.

On October 12, 2009, 15-year old Michael Brewer was confronted by a group of boys who doused him with alcohol and set him on fire, burning him over two-thirds of his body. The Sheriff's Office called the attack an act of retaliation for the arrest of one of the suspects, Matthew Bent, also 15.

Brewer had called police earlier when Bent attempted to steal a bike owned by Brewer's father. Bent is arrested while trying to take the bike. The next day, Bent and a group of 4 boys, Denver Jarvis-15, Jeremy Jarvis-13, Steven Shelton-15 and Jesus Mendez-15, surround Michael.

Bent orders Denver to pour alcohol on Brewer, Mendez takes a lighter from his pocket and flicks it at the drenched teen. The boys take off running and Brewer realizes he's been set on fire. He immediately rips his burning T-shirt off, runs toward a pool, jumps a fence and dives in. "Brewer likely saves his own life," says Miami Herald. "

"I remember a lady coming out of her apartment with her fiance' and them pulling me out of the water" Brewer says. "I remember looking down and seeing skin hanging from my arms...I felt like I was going to die."

Remarkably, Brewer appears to have largely recovered from his injuries. He spent some 5 months in the hospital after the attack, and received 7 skin grafts and 3 throat surgeries. He now has severe scarring on his body and still gets burning sensations on his back from time to time.

Jesus Mendez and Denver Jarvis plead no contest to second degree attempted murder. Mendez received a sentence of 11 years in a Florida state prison. Jarvis received an 8 year sentence. Jeremy Jarvis and Steven Shelton were not active participants in the attack and no charges were filed against them.

Matthew Bent was convicted of a lesser charge, aggravated battery, which carries a maximum of 15 years in prison. Bent filed a motion for a new trial after one of the jurors claimed she was bullied. This motion was denied, but as of 10/22/12 I have not been able to find anything regarding his actual sentence.

[kellyhound]

Chilling 911 call
fucking bastards. Let them rot.

Top from left: Matthew Bent, Jesus Mendez, Jeremy Jarvis.
Bottom from left: Denver Jarvis, Steven Sheldon.

[Faline]

bastards

[LadyCPlum]

And I assume these 5 little hoods will be charged with a hate crime, correct? Because if the victim had been a minority they would have. You mean they won't? Oh yeah, the victim's white, we don't have media whores like Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton or a Quanell X to call a press conference every 5 minutes when something like this happens.

[kellyhound]

look at this arrogant 15 yo douchebag.
hope they tear him another asshole in jail

[LadyCPlum]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

look at this arrogant 15 yo douchebag.
hope they tear him another asshole in jail

Not advocating violence against children obviously, but looking at that thuggish smirk, I desperately want to put on a knuckle duster and knock out every last one of his teeth. Then, use a pair of pliers to pull out his finger and toenails. Then tie a rubber band around his sac and cut off the circulation. Then give him a thousand paper cuts and dip him in a vat of either salt, rubbing alcohol, or lemon juice.

[invertigo]

Woah there, daveizgod, take it the fuck easy.
These kids are definitely little shitheads, but the punishment should match the crime. Were you bullied as kid, or something, 'cause your blood lust is a little over the top.

[LadyCPlum]

Originally Posted by invertigo ↗

Woah there, daveizgod, take it the fuck easy.
These kids are definitely little shitheads, but the punishment should match the crime. Were you bullied as kid, or something, 'cause your blood lust is a little over the top.

Actually, yes I was. Scars run deep.

[theimaginaryduck]

Is it me, or did the 911 operator sound so apathetic? His lack of emotion or urgency irritated me.

[Bexi]

oh thats horibble, and the operator sounded so uninterested