Teen prosecuted for attempted murder

• Tweet

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 13 (UPI) -- A witness says a teenager charged with attempted murder ordered a friend to pour rubbing alcohol on another boy, which lawyers argued led to the boy's burns.

Calvin Kenny, the best friend of victim Michael Brewer, testified Tuesday he and a group of teenagers found a jug filled with rubbing alcohol on the day of the incident. He said Matthew Bent ordered Denver Jarvis to pour the liquid on Brewer's back and neck, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported.

Prosecutors allege Bent is responsible for what happened after another friend, Jesus Mendez, flicked a lighter and set Brewer afire.

Bent's attorney's argued his client never threatened to harm Brewer explicitly, citing a conversation Jarvis had with Bent in an interrogation room following their arrests in October 2009 in which Jarvis said he acted on his own.

Brewer survived the burns after seven skin grafts and a two-month stay at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. He still requires treatment to keep his skin and muscles flexible.