Man kept quiet for two days after wife burst into flames from his cigarette, cops say
A South Georgia man is accused of setting his wife on fire with his cigarette — an accident police say wasn’t reported for two days.
Now the 64-year-old is charged with aggravated assault, according to Albany police.
Officers were called at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital after a woman, 67, arrived with burns to 25% of her lower body, police said in a news release.
She was unresponsive when first responders took her to the hospital, according to authorities.
Officers went to her home, where they met her husband and brought him in for questioning, police said. The man told investigators his wife has multiple sclerosis and that he was rubbing alcohol on her body to help with the pain.
At some point, he said he lit a cigarette near her, causing her to catch fire, police said.
The incident happened Oct. 22, and two days passed before the woman’s daughter found her with severe injuries, according to authorities.
The man told police he “panicked” and was too afraid to call for help, the release said.
His wife was taken to another hospital, where she’s recovering, police said. Authorities didn’t provide an update on her condition.
Her husband remained in custody at the Dougherty County Jail as of Thursday, Oct. 26, online records show. Police said additional charges are expected.
Albany is about 150 miles south of Atlanta.
This story was originally published October 26, 2023 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Man kept quiet for two days after wife burst into flames from his cigarette, cops say."