DECATUR, Ala. — A northern Alabama man is accused of setting his wife and their apartment on fire early Tuesday, authorities said.
Riley Herbert Willis III, 40, of Decatur, is facing charges of first-degree domestic violence, assault and arson, according to Morgan County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
According to the Decatur Police Department, officers responded to a report of a burn victim at Summer Courtyard Apartments in Decatur, WAAY-TV reported. First responders with Decatur Fire & Rescue and Decatur-Morgan Emergency Medical Services also responded to the scene at about 3:30 a.m. CDT, the television station reported.
Riley Herbert Willis III is to be held in the Morgan County Jail without bond. https://t.co/NlUMX1owTf
— waaytv (@WAAYTV) August 8, 2023
Officials found a woman with “serious physical injuries” who was suffering from burns, according to AL.com. Investigators said that Willis allegedly set his wife on fire and then torched the apartment with an accelerant before fleeing through a back window, the news outlet reported.
Moments later, police officers discovered Riley hiding inside another apartment within the complex, WHNT-TV reported.
The victim was taken to UAB Hospital and was listed in critical condition, according to the television station.
Willis is in custody in the Morgan County Jail without bail, according to online booking records.
