New Bedford man cleared of setting woman ablaze
FALL RIVER, Mass.—A New Bedford man has been acquitted of charges that he helped set a woman on fire almost four years ago.
Michael Barboza was found not guilty this week of mayhem and witness intimidation following a two-day bench trial.
Barboza's lawyer tells The Standard Times of New Bedford (http://bit.ly/uZxnAd) that the judge acquitted Barboza after the alleged victim, Donna Chasse, gave inconsistent testimony about the events of Dec. 6, 2007, when she suffered burns over most of her body.
Prosecutors say Barboza and two others poured rubbing alcohol over Chasse and lit her on fire.
But Barboza's lawyer, Jack Atwood, says evidence shows that Chasse lit herself on fire.
One of the other defendants has already been convicted. The third still awaits trial.
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Information from: The Standard-Times, http://www.southcoasttoday.com
