A Brooklyn man allegedly doused his girlfriend with an accelerant and set her on fire inside an apartment Saturday evening while their young daughter watched from nearby, prosecutors said.
Kenneth Rickenbacker, 44, appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Monday with his head heavily bandaged. He was arraigned in connection with the alleged attack on his 38-year-old girlfriend, according to police and a criminal complaint.
The incident unfolded shortly after 5 p.m. on Oct. 24 inside a Kingsborough Houses apartment in Crown Heights, police said.
Before allegedly setting the woman on fire, Rickenbacker threatened his 11-year-old daughter with a knife, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said Rickenbacker then ignited his girlfriend before leaving the apartment.
First responders arrived soon afterward to find smoke pouring from the apartment doorway. Inside, they heard a woman crying out near a mattress that had been burned, amNewYork reported.
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The injured woman was taken to the Weill Cornell Hospital Burn Center, where she remained in a medically induced coma.
Rickenbacker reportedly told police the fire was an accident. He claimed he had stopped by to pick up his daughter and pushed his girlfriend after she tried to attack him, according to the outlet.
He also alleged that the woman had rubbing alcohol on her hands and caught fire from a lit cigarette after he shoved her, the publication reported.
Sources told the local outlet that Rickenbacker was arrested after going to police in Queens to report the fire. Instead, officers took him into custody.
He faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, arson, assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child younger than 17.
At Monday’s arraignment, Rickenbacker appeared with most of his head covered in bandages. His attorney said the injuries were caused by burns.
The judge ordered Rickenbacker held in custody.
