A Utah man was arrested after he allegedly doused one of his roommates with gasoline and set her on fire before choking her.
Early in the morning on December 6, a woman was in her shared home in Ogden with one of her friends. Her 57-year-old male housemate was also home, and he and the woman had reportedly been at odds for days because she believed he had sex with another roommate. When the woman, whose friend offered to give her a ride somewhere, learned that the man was also going to get a ride, she became upset.
The man allegedly walked into the room with gasoline, poured it on her, and lit her on fire. While she was burning, he reportedly shoved her onto the ground and choked her before leaving the residence. 911 received a call about the incident, and the alleged victim, who was screaming, gave the authorities the man’s name. Officers from the Ogden Police Department went to the location, and when they arrived, they reported that the woman was standing in the street with visible burns on her face and parts of her body.
Later that evening, the authorities used data collected from the suspect’s cell phone to track him down. Agents from the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force team went to the Riverdale location. When he was searched, they reportedly found a glass pipe in the man’s possession that they believed was used to smoke methamphetamine.
The suspect was arrested and booked into the Weber County Jail without bond. He is facing multiple preliminary charges including first-degree felony aggravated arson, second-degree felony aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and class B misdemeanor use or possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to documents, the alleged victim will likely have “serious permanent disfigurement.”
If you or someone you love is suspected of an assault or battery offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.