On Aug. 22, Deputies with the Box Butte County Sheriff’s Office took an Alliance man into custody after he was accused of pouring gasoline on a woman and lighting her on fire.
According to the Affidavit for Custody, Deputies were dispatched to the 600 block of Cheyenne Avenue in Hemingford regarding a verbal disturbance. When they arrived, they contacted a female on the front porch of the residence who was in pain. When the deputy asked what happened, she indicated that there was an argument between her and her boyfriend. She said that her boyfriend, who was identified as Jon Mazanec, 24, of Alliance, poured gasoline on her and lit it on fire using a torch. She said that Mazanec fled on foot.
According to the Affidavit, the deputies searched the Hemingford area and located someone walking up Cheyenne Avenue at 2:14 p.m. matching Mazanec’s description and carrying a torch.
“Deputy (Tim) Wangler asked the subject what had went on earlier that day and the subject responded that he had a fight with his girlfriend and poured gasoline on her and then lit her on fire,” the Affidavit said.
After Mazanec was read his Miranda Warnings, Mazanec again admitted to the incident, according to the Affidavit. One of the deputies asked whether Mazanec had anything on his person, and Mazanec said he had drugs in his pocket. The deputies recovered a plastic baggie from Mazanec’s shorts with suspected LSD tabs in it after conducting a pat down search.
Mazanec is facing three felony charges from the incident: Second degree Domestic Assault, with a prior conviction, a class 2A felony, third degree domestic assault, with a prior conviction, a class 3A felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a class 4 felony. Mazanec is expected to be arraigned in Box Butte County District Court on Sept. 14.