Victim's mom wants to know 'Why?'

The mother of a 22-year-old burn victim faced the man accused of setting her son's leg on fire and had one question.

"I would just like him to tell me why," she told East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl.

EnEarl invited the woman to comment in court Wednesday on whether suspect Trent Aaron Clanton, 22, should be released from Douglas County Jail and placed on house arrest.

"I would like to ask him why myself," EnEarl said.

The woman said she had no opinion about Clanton's release, but wanted to be sure the court knew how badly her son was injured.

"My son's hurt really bad. He's got five to seven years of skin grafts ahead of him. He's out of work and can't walk," she said.

EnEarl assured her that she would be notified by the District Attorney's Office as Clanton makes his way through the judicial system.

Clanton, an unemployed laborer, was accused of pouring gasoline from a beer can and lighting the shoe of the victim at a "bonfire party" early Sunday on Power Line Road east of East Valley Road in the Pine Nut Mountains.

The victim was treated at Carson Valley Medical Center for second and third degree burns and nerve damage to his right calf from just below the knee to above the ankle.

Clanton was charged with mayhem, battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm, and battery causing substantial bodily harm, all felonies.

The victim said the attack was unprovoked and he didn't know the suspect.

In seeking release on house arrest, lawyer Derrick Lopez said Clanton had no prior felony convictions and would continue to live with his parents in Gardnerville.

"This was a horrible event," Lopez said. "There is more investigation as to who else was at that location and whether it was a prank that went horribly wrong or retaliation."

"A prank that ends up being felonies ceases to be a prank," EnEarl said.

EnEarl released Clanton on house arrest, but admonished the suspect that he will be supervised by adult probation and is subject to random search and seizure for drugs and alcohol. Clanton will be fitted with an ankle bracelet which is monitored by a global positioning system.

"You can't leave the house," EnEarl said.

He set another hearing for Wednesday and told Clanton he may not contact the victim.

"That lady had some pretty legitimate questions," EnEarl said, referring to the victim's mother. "Regardless of how this turns out, you may, at its conclusion, owe a couple of people some answers."