A North Carolina man has been arrested after he allegedly doused his girlfriend in gasoline and set her on fire.
The Sampson County sheriff confirmed to Us Weekly that Franklin “Frankie” Paul Faircloth was accused of forcing his way into his girlfriend’s house in Sampson County around 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 11.
Faircloth, 29, allegedly doused the woman and set her on fire before he left the scene on a bicycle.
Police set out to find Faircloth, who was located two days later in the woods that is about three miles from the woman’s house.
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Faircloth was immediately arrested after he was found and he was taken to the Sampson County jail.
He has been charged with several offenses, including first-degree arson, attempted murder, first-degree burglary, assault causing serious bodily injury and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Faircloth was dating the 36-year-old woman, whose identity has not been publicly revealed, at the time he allegedly burned her, according to an arrest warrant viewed by WBTV.
The sheriff said the woman sustained burns on two-thirds of her body, which included burns on both of her arms, legs, chest and back. After she reported the incident, she was taken to a nearby trauma center for treatment. Her current condition is not known.
An investigation into the matter remains ongoing. Police have asked that anyone who may have information about the incident call the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office at 910-592-4141.
Faircloth is still in custody as of time of publication. It is not currently clear if he has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
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The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office told Us they have no additional updates to share at this time.
While police confirmed Faircloth’s arrest, they did not share any details of the events that led up to the alleged altercation. Additionally, no details have been shared about Faircloth’s relationship with the woman, including how long they were together and if they had a history of domestic disputes.
If Faircloth is found guilty of the charges, he could be facing several years in prison.
Those found guilty of first-degree arson in the state of North Carolina can be sentenced up to 13 years in prison. First-degree burglary carries a sentence of three to 13 years in prison and assault causing serious bodily injury typically results in 10 to 41 months of incarceration. Meanwhile, those found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence can be sentenced to up to 150 days in jail.
