Edition: U.S. / Global

METRO DATELINES; Youth Is Convicted Of Setting Pair Afire

Published: November 23, 1988

An 18-year-old youth was found guilty of assault yesterday for pouring gasoline on the blanket of a couple sleeping in Prospect and setting it afire.

Sean Sullivan was acquited of more serious attempted murder charges, but also convicted of reckless endangerment for trying to set fire to another man earlier the same evening by pouring rubbing alcohol on his blanket and igniting it.

The youth was the first of three teen-agers to go to trial for the incident, which took place Aug. 26, 1987. Charges against a fourth were dropped and he testified against Mr. Sullivan.

Prosecutors charged that Mr. Sullivan and three friends went to the park after a night of heavy drinking to ''harass bums.''Mr. Sullivan's lawyer contended that, although he admitted setting the fires, he had poured flammable liquids only around the edges of the sleepers' blankets, and had therefore not intended to kill them.(AP)