Maine

Officials: Man Tried to Kill Companion by Setting Fire to Home

Seventy-year-old Barbara King says she jumped from a second story window to escape the blaze

A 65-year-old man from Corinth, Maine has been charged with arson and attempted murder after his house was destroyed by a fire early Wednesday morning.

Fred Roberts was arrested Wednesday afternoon at 788 Hudson Rd. and placed into custody at Penobscot County Jail, state police say.

The State Fire Marshal's Office says that Roberts poured gasoline inside of his home and lit the fire while his longtime female companion was upstairs.

Seventy-year-old Barbara King told investigators that she woke up, saw the fire but was unable to get downstairs because of the flames.

King said that she escaped the building by jumping out of a second-story window. She suffered serious injuries in the fall and is being treated at an area hospital.

The house was flattened in the blaze.

Roberts was found walking along a nearby road as firefighters were arriving at the scene of the fire.

It's not clear when he will appear in court or if he has an attorney.

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