A New York University (NYU) student, Jaime Castano, has been charged with first-degree assault and reckless endangerment after he allegedly set a female classmate on fire in his bedroom last August.
Authorities say 20-year-old Castano recorded the girl as she desperately tried to put off the fire with his mobile phone.
The victim, a 19-year-old who might also be Castano's girlfriend, suffered burns in the
incident.
Quoting a criminal complaint, NBC New York reported that »
the girl fell asleep on Castano's bed at about 11 p.m. on August
23, 2014.
While she was asleep, Castano set the bed on fire and proceeded to
make a video of her frantic efforts to quench fire and even
sang along.
NYU has been accused of not reporting the incident to the police until about two months after it happened.
The spokesman of the institution, John Beckman, said it delayed because it was waiting on the
victim's decision on whether or not to inform the police as is the practice.
It was only until recently that she made up her mind to involve the police.
He however admitted that the case should have been reported
much earlier given the gravity of the offence.
[hupso]
