Carrick woman arrested for allegedly throwing rubbing alcohol on boyfriend, setting him on fire

By Web staff

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — Pittsburgh police have arrested a woman who they say set her boyfriend on fire and tried to have police believe he did it to himself.

Cecilia Perez, 47, of the city’s Carrick neighborhood, is facing several charges, including criminal attempt, aggravated assault, aggravated arson and reckless endangerment.

According to Perez’s criminal complaint, dispatchers received multiple calls Sunday evening of reports of a man on fire.

“When I heard him screaming, it put chills down on my back, and I said, ‘Let me get me some help,'” Eugene Shealey, who lives in the apartment above Perez, said.

Sheley said he banged on his floor with a bat to demand they stop fighting, and when the screams and banging got louder, he said he called 911.

Arriving officers spoke to Perez, who told them her boyfriend had cut himself at work, applied rubbing alcohol to the wound then accidentally caught himself on fire with a marijuana joint. Perez said the 43-year-old man had also been drinking for most of the day.

According to police, the boyfriend “adamantly objected” to Perez’s telling of the incident. On the way to the hospital, he told police that Perez had “tried to kill me.” A witness told police she had heard a woman threaten to kill someone in the apartment, followed by banging and clashing.

The boyfriend said the pair had been drinking throughout the day and had gotten into an argument. As he tried to de-escalate the situation, Perez left the room and returned with a liquid — later determined to be isopropyl alcohol — which she threw onto him. Before he could react, he said, he was on fire, and ran throughout the apartment, trying to pat his clothes and put out the flames.

The boyfriend suffered first- and second-degree burns to his arms, chest and back. He was taken to UPMC Mercy and is now in stable condition.

According to the criminal complaint, police learned from Perez that the two had been in an on-and-off relationship since April. She accused the boyfriend of infidelity, said she was a woman scorned and “wanted him to feel the hurt and pain” he had caused her.

The criminal complaint says the boyfriend had sought a protection from abuse order against Perez earlier this month but later walked back that request, saying to Perez, “I couldn’t do that to you.”

Police also say they found several suspected crack cocaine and a pipe at the residence. Perez faces additional charges for possession.

Perez was taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

According to court records, the judge denied her bail to protect the victim.

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