Milwaukee woman sets husband on fire because of chicken wings, authorities say

A 29-year-old Milwaukee woman is facing a slew of charges after she allegedly set her sleeping husband on fire because she thought he had poisoned some chicken wings she had eaten earlier.

According to New York Post, Tuhonsty Marie Smith admitted to the June 3 incident, with the police saying she poured lighter fluid on her husband’s head and lit him up while he was sleeping at their home. Smith reportedly told authorities that she suspected him of poisoning chicken wings she had had the day before. Her husband sustained serious burns on his chest, head, ears, hands, neck and face. He was transported to the hospital for treatment after medics arrived.

Smith was subsequently taken into custody and charged with arson of a building, first degree recklessly endangering safety and mayhem, domestic abuse assessments, CBS 58 reported. Smith’s husband, Henry Williams, informed the police his wife’s behavior had taken a turn for the worse in recent times and it further went downhill after he informed her of his intention to leave her.

Prior to the incident, Williams also said they had an altercation, New York Post reported.

“Because I’ve known Henry since he was a kid, just heartbroken for him,” Denise Wilson, the couple’s landlady, told CBS 58. “The house is just a thing and that’s why you have insurance but as long as he’s going to be ok, that’s my main concern.”

The couple’s three-month-old daughter was in the home at the time of the incident but Williams managed to get out of the house with her. “I’m just glad he was able to get the baby out and that he’s going to be ok,” Wilson added. “It’ll be a long road to recovery with his burns but ultimately he’ll be ok.”

On her first court appearance, Williams was ordered to take a competency evaluation. Her next court appearance will be after her competency report is ready.