A homeless man who set his friend on fire while he was asleep near a Chula Vista market is now serving a four-year term in state prison for mayhem.
Anthony Padgett, 30, was fined $414 by Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Ana Espana after she denied probation earlier this month.
Padgett’s friend, Sydney Moreno, 49, of Chula Vista, was burned over almost 30 percent of his body on Jan. 6 at a Food-4-Less store at 1320 East 30th St. in Chula Vista.
Deputy District Attorney Allen Brown urged an 8-year term, saying Padgett was a danger to the public.
Moreno didn’t attend the sentencing, but he now lives in a medical board and care facility in the South Bay after spending months in the hospital. He has gone through skin graft operations to replace burned skin.
Moreno didn’t request any restitution from Padgett.
Padgett didn’t testify at his trial. The judge gave him credit for already serving 302 days in jail.
