Overview:
Inmate Set on Fire at Belau Prison – Motive Still Unknown
Chico Matsuoka, jailed on multiple felony charges, was reportedly doused with gasoline and set ablaze Sunday. Authorities say he was alone in his cell and suffered non-life-threatening burns. Investigators are probing how gasoline entered the prison and whether Matsuoka acted alone.
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau — An inmate at the Palau Prison (Koror Jail) was set on fire Sunday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2025, in an incident authorities say appears to have occurred while he was alone in his cell.
Bureau of Public Safety Director Curtis Elobt said inmate Chico Matsuoka was reportedly doused with gasoline and ignited. Elobt said Matsuoka began screaming, alerting officers, who responded immediately.
“He was taken to the hospital,” Elobt said, adding that the burns were not serious. Reports from other sources say he was admitted to the surgical ward, though the extent of his injuries is unknown.
Elobt said preliminary reviews of closed-circuit television footage show no indication that another person was inside Matsuoka’s cell at the time of the incident. Authorities have not yet determined whether Matsuoka was doused by someone else or if he set himself on fire.
Investigators are also examining how gasoline may have entered the facility. Elobt said that while prison bars prevent inmates from escaping, small items can be passed through them.
“That could be one of the ways he may have gained access to gasoline,” Elobt said.
So far, no clear motives have been identified, although some speculate that Matsuoka may have been attempting to get medical attention or leave the prison for treatment in the hospital.
Matsuoka is incarcerated on multiple felony charges and was recently charged in connection with the gruesome killing of fellow inmate Johnston Etpison. He has also been accused of attacking another inmate, Burton Wenty, with a piece of rebar in a separate alleged incident.
The investigation into Sunday’s incident remains ongoing.