Clearwater man sets home on fire, tried burning dogs after assaulting woman: affidavit

Video above: Drone video shows the aftermath of a condo fire in Palm Harbor over the weekend.

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Clearwater man was arrested after setting fire to a home after assaulting a woman and trying to burn her dogs, an affidavit said.

The document said Robert John Thompson, 55, was staying the night with the woman at an abandoned Safety Harbor home, located in the 3400 block of Enterprise Road East, in a secluded, wooded area.

Bartow High School student killed in hit-and-run crash

On Sunday morning around 11:10 a.m., the victim said she woke up to Thompson yelling, before he punched her in the left eye and told her he would burn the home down, where she was staying to gain squatter’s rights.

The woman told deputies that Thompson “suddenly became angry with her,” according to the affidavit. That’s when he punched her and threw her to the ground. Officials said the woman had a laceration on her arm and a swollen left eye.

The victim ran to a nearby business complex to ask someone to call 911. When she returned to the home, Thompson told her to get her dogs or he would burn them too, the affidavit said.

Children’s author hit with new charges alleging earlier attempt to kill her husband

When deputies arrived, smoke was coming out of the home. The woman described seeing a lit Citronella tiki torch inside a rolled-up carpet in the front doorway.

Thompson was arrested on Monday for an open felony battery case. Deputies also found amphetamine and fentanyl on him, which was stashed inside a cigarette case.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.