Homeless man dies two days after being set in fire in horrific attack caught on camera

Police appeal for witnesses and any information about incident or suspect

The suspect moments before the attack ((DC Metropolitan Police Department))

A homeless man in Washington DC has died, two days after being set on fire in a violent attack caught on surveillance camera footage.

The victim, 62-year-old Darryl Finney, was attacked in the early hours of Wednesday morning on the 900 block of H Street, by an unidentified man.

Footage released by the police showed that the suspect dowsed Mr Finney with an unknown flammable substance, then walked away as the fire started.

Mr Finney was taken by first responders to a local hospital, but died from the injuries sustained during the attack, just two days later, according to WTTG.

His belongings, that were stored in suitcases, were found in a shopping trolley nearby, but had also been set alight and burned in the incident.

The suspect is also thought to have torched a car near the scene of the attack, and is believed to have attempted to set another homeless person on fire, less than an hour before the attack on Mr Finney.

The DC Metropolitan Police Department released footage of the incident, as they appealed for the public to help them find the attacker.

DC police chief Peter Newsham told the outlet that the suspect “was intent on hurting people in a very, very demonic way,” and urged for anyone with any information to talk to the authorities.

“I hope if someone is out there watching, I hope you can take a look at this photo and let us know who he is so we can ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

A $25,000 (£20,520) reward has been set by the police department for anyone who is able to provide information that helps the authorities convict the suspect.

The department added that anyone who has any information should “call the police at 202-727-9099,” and added that “anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s Text Tip Line by sending a text message to 50411.”