A North Carolina man is accused of spraying rubbing alcohol on a woman, the floor and a couch before igniting it and setting the woman’s shirt on fire, according to authorities.
Patrick Tyson, 56, has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and first-degree arson. He also faces misdemeanor counts of assault on a female and injury to personal property.
Officers with the Sylva Police Department responded just after 7 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, to a home on Chipper Curve Road in Sylva, a town about an hour west of Asheville, for a reported domestic dispute.
Investigators say Tyson was arguing with the woman when he allegedly grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol, poured or sprayed it on the floor and the couch where she was sitting, and then set the alcohol on fire, according to a press release from the department.
“He sprayed it, and it went on the carpet, the couch and on her,” Assistant Police Chief Robbie Carter said.
The victim told officers that Tyson said he would set her on fire if she didn’t get him a beer, then ignited the couch, causing both the couch and her shirt to catch fire, the press release states.
Carter said Tyson allegedly used a cigarette lighter to start the blaze.
Although the woman’s shirt burned, she was not physically injured, Carter noted.
The fire damaged the carpet and couch, and Tyson also allegedly damaged the stove during the incident.
Tyson was taken into custody and is being held on a $750,000 secured bond at the Jackson County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in District Court on Dec. 1.
