Cherokee County man sentenced to 12 years for threatening ex with fire

A 27-year-old man from Canton in Cherokee County was sentenced to 12 years in prison after threatening to set his ex-girlfriend on fire, prosecutors announced Friday, according to FOX 5 Atlanta and Atlanta News First.

The incident occurred on May 13, when the woman went to the man's home to retrieve her motorcycle helmet. When she tried to leave, he refused to let her go, prosecutors said.

The woman escaped by asking to use a bathroom in a nearby building and sought help from two acquaintances. Upon returning, the man poured gasoline on himself, held the woman in a bear hug, and threatened to ignite them both with a lighter, saying, "If I can't have her, no one can," according to the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.

The two acquaintances intervened, pulling the woman away, taking the lighter, and calling 911. Deputies found the woman crying on the roadside, fearing she might be burned alive, prosecutors said.

On October 23, the man pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment. A Cherokee County judge sentenced him to 30 years, with 12 years to be served in prison and the remainder on probation, which includes conditions such as no contact with the victim and participation in intervention programs.