PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria man has been found guilty during a bench trial of setting his girlfriend on fire in 2022.
Daniel Pace, 42, was convicted of aggravated battery and aggravated domestic battery.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 9.
The victim testified she was living with Pace August 19, 2022 when during an argument, Pace grabbed a bottle of vodka, poured it over her head and flicked a lighter two times, setting her on fire.
She said she immediately fell to the floor and Pace used a blanket to extinguish the fire.
The victim received burns to 30 percent of her body, with 19 percent of those burns being third-degree burns.
Prosecutors said Pace provided multiple accounts during the investigation, consistently saying it was the victim who set herself on fire.
Pace testified during the one day trial and claimed he accidentally set his girlfriend on fire while she was lying bed,
The lead detective refuted Pace’s testimony by saying there were no burn marks on the bed, only the floor of the apartment.
Additionally, pictures shown during the trial revealed burns to the front and side of the victim’s body, as well as her backside.
Comments