Man charged with assaulting woman and setting Kansas City house on fire

Jackson County authorities have accused a 44-year-old man of splashing what smelled like gasoline onto a woman and then using a lit cigarette to set nearby furniture on fire.

Richard Northcutt of Kansas City faces first-degree arson, domestic assault and felonious restraint charges in the incident that occurred Saturday at a residence in the 3400 block of Wayne Avenue. The 51-year-old woman tried to leave but Northcutt allegedly restrained her and set several objects on fire. The woman managed to escape, according to court records.

The victim told investigators she was in bed asleep but was awakened by Northcutt, who demanded to have sex. The woman refused and got out of bed. She believed Northcutt was high on PCP, and she wanted to get away. He splashed the woman with the liquid and lit the cigarette, but the woman knocked it out of his mouth.

Northcutt told the woman, “We are both going to meet our maker.” He then poured what was believed to be gasoline on furniture throughout the residence and set it on fire. A witness and a woman said they saw Northcutt lying on the burning bed, watching the flames, according to court records.

The two ran outside. Northcutt locked himself inside as flames engulfed the house. He came out after fire crews arrived.

The woman suffered a burn to her foot, court records stated.

This story was originally published August 24, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Man charged with assaulting woman and setting Kansas City house on fire."