A judge will hand down a sentence next week in the case of an angry homeowner convicted of using a flamethrower to shoot fire at neighborhood teens over a parking dispute.
A jury on Thursday convicted Andre Abrams, 60, of three misdemeanor charges of improperly exhibiting a weapon. Prosecutors had sought convictions on felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which could have sent Abrams to prison for years.
Sentencing was set for 8 a.m. Friday.
The trial in Alachua County Circuit Court was nearly fire: Prosecutors asked the judge to let them demonstrate the flamethrower – which can spew flames 20 feet – to jurors in an area behind the courthouse. The judge turned down the request.
Abrams’ public defender believed he had a losing case. In a letter May 6 to Abrams included in court records, assistant public defender Aubroncee Martin described the evidence against him and encouraged him to reach a plea agreement. He warned Abrams that he faced up to 15 years in prison.
“You acknowledged possessing and using the flamethrower in question after being read your Miranda rights,” he wrote. “Second, you showed the police a video surveillance recording of you using the flamethrower, which was recovered from the incident location. Third, witnesses reported to law enforcement that they observed you allegedly using the flamethrower unlawfully.”
Martin added, “You should carefully weigh the strength and weakness of your case and not completely disregard the practical necessity of resolving this case with a plea negotiation.”
Abrams couldn’t be reached immediately to discuss the jury’s verdict. Phone numbers listed for him in court files and public records were disconnected, and he did not immediately respond to emails sent to an address he was using to correspond with the judge in the case.
Here’s what police said happened:
In November 2021, Abrams walked outside and began spraying the flamethrower in the direction of the vehicle at three teens who were between the ages of 17 and 18. Abrams sprayed multiple times, leaving burn marks approximately 5 feet away from the three, who were sitting in the vehicle.
The accusers told officers they ran out of the car in fear it would “blow up.”
Abrams previously told officers he had ongoing issues with his neighbors parking across the street in front of his driveway and had used the flamethrower to intimidate neighbors.
The criminal case was delayed for months after a judge determined Abrams wasn’t competent to stand trial, until he went through mental health treatment. The case resumed in January 2024 after Abrams’ health checked out.
Abrams told officers if he “wanted to burn the vehicle, he could have.” Abrams was known to use his flamethrower to intimidate neighbors, according to the 2021 arrest report. Witnesses confirmed seeing Abrams with the flamethrower and pointing it at the victims.
In instructions to the jury, the judge asked them to consider four elements to convict Abrams on the felony aggravated assault charges:
- That Abrams intentionally and unlawfully threatened, either by word or act, to do violence towards the victims
- That Abrams appeared to have carried out the threat
- That Abrams’ actions created well-founded fear among the victims
- That the assault was made with a deadly weapon.