Wayne Houchin severely injured in Dominican Republic

[IrishMagicNews]

May I echo the words of others and pass on my admiration to you Wayne for coming on here and telling it as it is, in what must be a very difficult time for you.

[luigimar]

Nothing but the best and a speedy recovery Wayne! You are in our prayers!!

[Mowee]

Wayne, we wish you a speedy recovery. And I hope the "host" gets what he deserves.

Frank

[MakenU1der]

please tell me I am wrong but it looks like BJ Bueno was the one that had the lighter and he is the one that lit the fire? there fore being "in" on it? please so it isn't so.

[Richard Kaufman]

MakenU1der: please read Wayne's own description of what happened above! Yes, it was BJ, NO, he was not "in" on it! You should read the earlier posts BEFORE you post.

[MakenU1der]

I admit I had not read that when I posted BUT I am still just as mad at BJ as the host, being from that country he knew what "Agua de Florida" was and he knew full and well what people do with it, google it

[Joe Pecore]

I have read everything and that is what I saw and what I think, please show me im wrong.

Some facts:
He then turned to BJ and asked him to pick up a lighter from the stage and light the fluid. At this point none of us had any idea what the host planned to do.

[Loopback]

Get well Wayne.

[Dustin Stinett]

Just moments ago, Megyn Kelly on Fox News has noted that there will be a segment on her show on this event upcoming soon.

[Dustin Stinett]

So it appears that there is now an arrest warrant out for this TV host.

[Doc Eason]

The incident has finally made the Huffington Post.

[Dave V]

Here's the link
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/0 ... 30661.html

[Richard Kaufman]

If this had happened in the US, the bastard who did this would have already been arrested.

[erdnasephile]

That video gives me the willies--just horrible.

One thing that struck me is how extraordinarily calm Wayne was after the incident simply saying: "I need to go a hospital."

Get well soon, Wayne.

[Dustin Stinett]

Wayne's story, with comments from Jon Armstrong and Paul Draper, was the lead story on the local Los Angeles CBS station tonight.

[Bill Marquardt]

Here is the Fox News take on it:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... m-on-fire/

[Jonathan Townsend]

CNN as picked up the story today:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/vi ... n-fire.hln

[Richard Kaufman]

Graphic photos of the burns on Wayne's face which he sent to iTricks:
http://itricks.com/news/2012/12/graphic ... more-29080
DO NOT look if you are likely to be disturbed by graphic photos.

[CraigMitchell]

Further updates on the Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the ... story.html

The host is currently in the US - he has taken the position that It was a demonstration within a magical religious framework that turned out badly.

[Richard Kaufman]

And the host is resentful because everyone is Theyre treating me like a criminal, Barazarte said.

Damn right: criminal it is.

[Magic Newswire]

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - December 5th, 2012 - At 10am (AST), American magician Wayne Houchin held a press conference with his lawyers at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel in response to Franklin Barazarte fleeing the Dominican Republic. While it's unclear how Mr. Barazarte avoided capture with an active criminal warrant out for his arrest, he managed to travel to New York city to be with his wife Adriana Azzi. As a result of ignoring serious charges, he's now officially considered a fugitive of Dominican law.

Houchin and his lawyers have asked the United States to arrest and extradite Barazarte to the Dominican Republic, to face prosecution for his crimes as well as civil litigation. Houchin and his lawyers said Barazarte's actions were completely unexpected, and consider it a criminal attack.

Last night, in an exclusive interview with Univision (New York), Franklin Barazarte surfaced from hiding to respond to allegations of attempted murder. He referred to his act of pouring flaming liquid on someone as "a blessing" which was something he'd done for a "long time in private." While he casually admits it was an "accident gone wrong," Mr. Barazarte goes on at length to explain how he feels hurt by all the "propaganda" surrounding this case, and the insinuation that he's even considered a criminal. Barazarte also discounts the gravity of Houchin's injuries by mentioning that Houchin "left the clinic the same day."

Meanwhile, Houchin is still in the Dominican Republic and recuperating slowly. Riddled with 1st and 2nd degree burns on his head, face, ears, neck and right hand, he hopes to return home to Chico, California soon.

An Iphone clip, taken by a member of the group of magicians Houchin worked with has gone viral on the Internet. It clearly shows Barazarte intentionally setting the American magician ablaze. The later part of the clip shows Houchin in shock on the ground, paralyzed with pain.


(NOTE: The Clip includes interviews with Wayne)
- - - -
Univision coverage of the 12.5.2012 Press Conference:
http://noticias.univision.com/primer-im ... UimStage:2
(cut and paste if not clickable)

[Richard Kaufman]

Where have you been, Dodd?

[jason156]

Attempted murder? I can see the lawyers are involved now.

[CraigMitchell]

Anyone have another link for the video ? Not viewable for me

[Magic Newswire]

Here and there... Working ;-)

[Steve Bryant]

Loved your Johnny Thompson music video. I hadn't seen that before.

[AKadmon]

Franklin Barazarte, a Venezuelan citizen, is currently in New York after abruptly cancelling his appointments in Santo Domingo, presumably to evade arrest and detention by Dominican authorities.

In televised interviews, he admitted to dropping the burning Agua de Florida on Wayne Houchin's head intentionally, in order to 'bless' him and rid him of evil spirits. He said he does not know what went wrong, but he didn't expect the flaming liquid that he dropped on Wayne to behave that way. In the same interview he said he resented being treated like a criminal.

Wayne gave a press conference to a room full of reporters in Santo Domingo yesterday and his story is being well covered internationally.

Wayne is continuing to improve. His body is healing, his spirit is strong, and his mind is clear.

Wayne Houchin posted the following open letter to Sr. Barazarte as his status update on Facebook this morning.

[From Wayne Houchin's Facebook page]
[December 6, 2012 approx 9:50 am EST]

To Mr. Barazarte:

You say that you are not hiding, yet you canceled all your appointments in Santo Domingo and left the country as soon as the arrest warrant was issued.

I have been advised by the court not leave the Dominican Republic until you are in custody and we both have an opportunity to give our official statements to the judge.


I would like to return home to be with the rest of my family, to rest and to heal. Please turn yourself in so we can both begin the process of moving on.

I can forgive, but I expect accountability. Always Love instead of hate.

He also tweeted these sentiments at about the same time.

[Magic Newswire]

Loved your Johnny Thompson music video. I hadn't seen that before.

Don't want to derail the conversation, but loved that as well! http://bit.ly/WM4ZQt

[Jonathan Townsend]

I don't want to derail the conversation either - looking for link to discussion of spells, counterspells in practice in that region. Was told of eggs, writing on mirror... though not finding much on the web.

links?

[AKadmon]

I don't want to derail the conversation either - looking for link to discussion of spells, counterspells in practice in that region. Was told of eggs, writing on mirror... though not finding much on the web.

links?

Jonathan - if you google Dominican Santeria you will find a number of resources

[Jonathan Townsend]

I don't want to derail the conversation either - looking for link to discussion of spells, counterspells in practice in that region. Was told of eggs, writing on mirror... though not finding much on the web.

links?

Jonathan - if you google Dominican Santeria you will find a number of resources

Let's presume all here know how to use Google.

Specific links?

[KirkG]

Hmm, went to New York. I wonder if there are any magicians in New York who "know a guy"? :)