Holly MatkinBaltimore, MD – A man who claimed to have been set on fire during a robbery in east Baltimore has doubled-down on his story after police said that he lied about the circumstances of the altercation and the person who allegedly attacked him.
Charles Boyd suffered second- and third-degree burns during the Jan. 2 incident, which he claimed occurred as he was walking to the bus stop near North Glover Street and McElderry at approximately 6:30 a.m., WBFF reported.
Boyd said that two men came up behind him and doused him with a liquid, then set him on fire before he even had time to turn around.
“I was burning and I was screaming for help,” he told WBFF in a tearful interview the next day. “I was in shock. Only thing I could think about is pulling off my clothes and getting on the ground.”
The suspects allegedly took off with Boyd’s headphones and wallet, leaving him burning in the street.
“Every time I close my eyes, all I see is fire,” he told the news outlet. “I just thank god they didn’t shoot me or stab me, you know?”
Boyd was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released to recover at home.
News of the alleged attack sparked both fear and outrage throughout Baltimore.
But on Wednesday, police revealed that Boyd confessed he was never robbed, WBFF reported.
He also allegedly admitted that the person who set him on fire was a woman.
According to investigators, Boyd was taking part in an illegal drug exchange when the woman intentionally set him on fire.
In a follow-up interview with WBFF on Thursday, Boyd claimed that the police were the ones who lied.
“I didn’t mislead them,” he insisted, while decked out in a shirt that read, “No, you’re right. Let’s do this the dumbest way possible because it’s easier for you.”
“I thought it was two dudes,” Boyd continued. “But come to find out after the investigation, you know, it was…somebody I knew.”
He claimed that the alleged attackers were wearing hoodies and that he didn’t see their faces, so he assumed they were two men.
Baltimore police are searching are now searching for the woman.
They said that Boyd may also face charges for filing a false police report, WBFF reported.