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Two Arrested in Albuquerque for Burning Homeless Man With Fireworks

"It was just a prank," one of the suspects said. "I was just trying to scare him. That's it."

Two people have been arrested in Albuquerque for allegedly throwing fireworks on a homeless man on July 11, badly burning him.

Police arrested Joshua Benavidez and Irene Enriquez, both 31, on Wednesday. The suspects expressed remorse as they were loaded into a police cruiser.

"I just hope he gets through this OK, and our prayers are with him," Enriquez told NBC affiliate KOB. "I just want to say I'm sorry to our family, to my children."

"It was just a prank," added Benavidez. "I was just trying to scare him. That's it."

The victim was sleeping when the fireworks hit him. He was covered in flames and became unconscious. He was in a hospital intensive care unit Thursday, Albuquerque police told KOB.

A babysitter for Benavidez's son tipped off police after being told by the boy that he was with the suspects when they threw fireworks at the man, the station reported.