Her husband woke up with his hair on fire and tried to extinguish the flames with his hands. He then gathered up his 3-month old daughter and left the home he shares with his wife. Authorities think that his wife lit him on fire and they have charged her with arson of a building, first-degree recklessly endangering safety and mayhem, and domestic abuse assessments. Her husband suffered second and third-degree burns as a result of the incident.
Williams told police his wife’s behavior had changed in recent months. He said he told her he was ending their marriage a few days prior to the fiery incident, which allegedly prompted even more erratic behavior from her.
Smith told authorities that she believed that her husband poisoned chicken wings she ate hours prior to the fire.
Smith allegedly admitted to filling a cup full of lighter fluid and pouring it on her husband’s head. Then, she allegedly used a lighter to set the fire.
The woman has been ordered to undergo a competency evaluation following her first court appearance on Tuesday. She is being held on a $25,000 bail.
“Because I’ve known Henry since he was a kid, just heartbroken for him,” the couple’s property owner and friend Denise Wilson said. “The house is just a thing and that’s why you have insurance but as long as he’s going to be OK, that’s my main concern.”
She said he faces a “long road to recovery with his burns but ultimately he’ll be ok.”