By Elisha Anderson
The Detroit Free Press
DETROIT — A 59-year-old Detroit man is accused of setting his girlfriend on fire after the couple got into an argument early this morning, a fire department official said.
“He ended up pouring gasoline on her and setting her on fire,” Detroit Fire Arson Chief Charles Simms told the Free Press. “She suffered second- and third-degree burns to anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of her body.”
The woman, who is in her early 40s, is in critical condition at Detroit Receiving Hospital, and her boyfriend, who had been drinking alcohol before the fire, was arrested at the scene, Simms said.
Fire officials are seeking charges against him said they plan to interview him later today, giving him a chance to sober up.
They plan to seek a warrant for first-degree arson, punishable by life in prison, and could also seek a warrant for assault with intent to commit murder, Simms said.
The fire happened around 2 a.m. in the 3600 block of Canton, near Mack and East Grand Boulevard, on the city’s east side. Neither person’s name has been released.
The woman’s body suffered burns from the waist up including her torso, arms, neck and face.
“There’s a strong possibility that she may not pull through,” Simms said.
The woman ran to another apartment in the building and that’s when she was set on fire, officials said.
“From what I understand there was an argument, she left,” Simms said. “And he followed her.”
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