Homeless Kansas City woman is accused of setting boyfriend on fire

Jackson County prosecutors accused a homeless woman Tuesday of pouring a flammable liquid on her boyfriend and lighting him on fire.

They charged Amanda N. Drake, 35, with first-degree domestic assault in connection with the incident Monday in the 300 block of North White Avenue in the Northeast area of Kansas City.

According to court documents, the victim felt something being poured on his back as he stood in the home near a second-floor window. He turned around and saw Drake holding a lighter, which she used to set him on fire.

A witness reported seeing Drake come out of the burning house with the victim, and they were arguing. Another witness told police she heard Drake say she had set the man on fire.

The victim, who suffered second- and third-degree burns to his back and arms, told police that he and Drake have had a seven-year relationship that produced two children. He said she recently had been saying things that didn’t make sense.

When detectives tried to interview Drake at the jail, she refused to get out of her cell’s bed, pulled a blanket over her head and repeatedly yelled, “No.”

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 1:06 PM.