Juvenile charged with attempting to burn 15-year-old girl

A 15-year-old girl escaped injury when her ex-boyfriend allegedly sloshed gasoline on her, ignited a lighter and threatened to burn her Saturday at her home, a Rutherford County Sheriff’s sergeant reported.

Her grandmother and a roommate also were not hurt when the 17-year-old boy and friend Coty Edwards, 27, threatened to burn their home, said Sgt. David Foote. The suspects left the home after the grandmother dialed 911.

Foote charged the boy with two counts of aggravated domestic assault, attempted aggravated arson, aggravated burglary, vandalism and interference with a 911 call.

Edwards, 27, of Bridgewater Drive in Smyrna, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault and attempted aggravated arson.

Foote and other deputies responded Saturday afternoon to the Fall Creek Drive home. The investigation showed the boy demanded $300 from the girl.

The boy allegedly forced his way into the home where he “threatened to cut her head off” in front of her grandmother and the roommate.

When the girl could not pay, the boy poured gasoline around the front of the house, the sergeant said.

“He continued pouring as he walked up the front steps and into the living room where he poured gasoline all over the floor and intentionally sloshed some onto (the girl),” Foote reported.

The boy threatened to “burn the house down and at one point pulled out a cigarette lighter, ignited it and held it close to (the girl’s) gasoline-soaked T-shirt,” the sergeant reported.

When her grandmother attempted to call 911, the boy grabbed the phone and smashed it on the ground.

“As this was happening, Coty Edwards was standing in the front yard with an ignited cigarette lighter, antagonizing the situation and trying to instigate a fight with (the roommate),” Foot reported.

Believing deputies were en route, the suspects fled. Foote located them at Edwards’ home and arrested them.

The juvenile was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.

Edwards was charged and booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where he is held on $25,000 bond. A hearing is set Nov. 15 in General Sessions Court.