SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The man who set his 6-year-old son on fire to avenge a custody battle 22 years ago is on trial again and could go to prison for life.
Jury selection resumed Monday in the case of Charley Charles, formerly Charles Rothenberg. He faces trial on gun possession and other charges and could face sentencing under the state’s tough “three strikes” law.
Jury selection began last week, and opening statements were set to begin as early as Monday afternoon.
In 1983, Rothenberg took his 6-year-old son, David, to a motel in the Los Angeles suburb of Buena Park and gave the boy a sleeping pill. He then doused the boy with kerosene, set him on fire and left.
He said he was distraught over losing the boy to his estranged wife in a custody battle. David survived, but suffered third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body and was badly disfigured.
The father was convicted of attempted murder, arson and other charges and received 13 years in prison, the maximum penalty at the time. He was released for good behavior after serving 6 1/2 years.
In 1990, the boy, who told prosecutors he never wanted to see his father again, changed his name to David Jordan Robinson, in honor of professional basketball stars Michael Jordan and David Robinson, who befriended him.
The 10 new counts against the father include charges he withdrew money from cash machines using other people’s ATM cards, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Under the state’s three strikes law, enacted in 1994 to punish repeat offenders, he could face a sentence of 25 years to life.
In 1996, a jury acquitted Rothenberg, then known as Charles Bocca, of charges he shot a man in the head.
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