WAUSAU, Wis (WSAU) A Wausau man is accused of trying to set his estranged wife on fire.
A police report says 32-year-old Eric Whited was driving, with his wife in a separate vehicle behind him. He stopped suddenly, forcing his wife to slam on her brakes. He then approached her vehicle, poured a can of gasoline on it, and attempted to use a cigarette lighter to set it on fire. He dropped the lighter when his wife opened the car door and kicked him.
Police weren't told about the incident until last Thursday, when the woman filed a complaint against Whited in a separate matter that happened in Antigo. The investigating officer interviewed the victim’s brother, who said he could smell the gasoline.
Whited is charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping. Bond was set at $1,500.
Whited claims the allegations are not true. He says the vehicle ran out of gas, and some of it spilled from a gas can while it was being refueled.
