Man sentenced to 13 years for setting tent on fire with person inside

A man who pleaded guilty to setting fire to a tent while a disabled homeless man was still inside will serve 13 years in prison.

Anthony Curtis Leikas, 34, was sentenced to 158 months on Friday for one count of first-degree assault causing great bodily harm.

As previously reported, the attack happened the morning of Dec. 5, 2023, just two blocks from Target Field. Minneapolis police were called to the area of Glenwood Avenue and Twins Way on a report that a 57-year-old man in a wheelchair had been set on fire, according to a criminal complaint.

The victim, a double amputee, was found lying on the ground with severe burns. His scorched wheelchair was nearby.

Before being taken to the hospital, the victim told police someone had started his tent on fire and that he heard the suspect say, “Burn in hell,” as he set it aflame. The fire started about an hour before law enforcement arrived.

Surveillance footage showed Leikas approach the tent before it went up in flames, the complaint states. Police tracked Leikas to a nearby gas station and his likeness on those security cameras matched with the suspect at the crime scene.