The man accused of throwing gasoline on two women and setting them on fire at a 7-Eleven in Chula Vista made his first appearance in court on Wednesday.
Jose Carlos Villanueva, 47, is charged with multiple felonies, including attempted murder, torture and arson. He pleaded not guilty.
The incident happened near Broadway and L Street around 8 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.
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Prosecutors say Villanueva had been planning the attack for a while. One of the victims is his ex-girlfriend, Amanda Buchanan, who has suffered burns over 80% of her body.
"This was a horrific crime," San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Jared Coleman said. "This defendant essentially tracked down his girlfriend at her place of work, doused her with gasoline and ignited her on fire with a lighter. She burned, engulfed in flames, for approximately two minutes."
The family and friends of at least one of the two victims were present in court on Wednesday. Buchanan's son spoke before the arraignment about how this incident is hurting his family.
"The extent of her injuries are so severe that we got together with the surgeons and talked about her quality of life, and it's not going to be the same, so we decided to go ahead and pull the plug on her. That way she's not suffering," Dominic Rivera said.
Buchanan's coworker also sustained injuries in the attack.
Villanueva remains in custody, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 6.
