Woman doused in gasoline by boyfriend armed with gun, Pierce County deputies say
A 53-year-old man is suspected of dousing his girlfriend with gasoline and pointing a gun at her near Spanaway.
Deputies were dispatched at around 6:30 p.m. Monday to the 19600 block of Canyon Road East where the woman was living at a camp in the woods, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release.
Deputies found the woman in a tent and said she told them she had been covered with the gasoline, according to body camera footage. Two dogs appeared to be with her that also had gasoline on them.
The gasoline burned the woman’s skin and left her in discomfort, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson deputy Carly Cappetto told The News Tribune. She was offered medical attention, water to get the gasoline off her body and a change of clothes.
“Once deputies found the victim, they knew they had to locate the boyfriend since he was armed and dangerous. K9 Clark and his handler were called to the scene to begin the search for the suspect,” the release said.
“You need to come out now, before my dog finds you and when he does he will bite you,” the handler was heard saying in the body-camera footage.
The K-9 spent over 30 minutes combing through the thick woods and rough terrain to find the man, the release said.
He found the sawed-off shotgun that the man allegedly pointed at the woman. The dog also found the man near a small body of water.
The man was booked into the Pierce County Jail. Before he was booked, fire personnel treated him for a K-9 bite.
Prosecutors charged him with first-degree animal cruelty, felony harassment, two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun, court documents show.
A plea of not guilty was entered on the man’s behalf during his arraignment Wednesday, documents show. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set the man’s bail at $125,000.
The release said a large portion of calls that deputies are dispatched to regard domestic violence.
“For domestic violence resources and help, contact the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center to speak with an Advocate (253) 798-4166, or visit their website at Pierce County Family Justice Center, WA | Official Website,” the release said.
