Court documents released Friday reveal new details about
a man suspected of setting a pregnant woman on fire at a hotel in Murray.
Andrew Todd Curtis, 44, is being held in the Salt Lake County Jail on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated murder. A police report made public Friday morning says it is not known if the female victim will survive her severe burn injuries.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed to support Curtis’ arrest, Murray Police indicate Curtis was staying at the Studio 6 earlier this week with the victim and other friends.
On Wednesday night, Curtis called police to report that a woman – the victim who Curtis later allegedly attacked and lit on fire – had stolen his car. Murray Police went to the hotel and spoke with Curtis but determined the dispute over the vehicle was a civil issue.
A short time later, Murray Police were called back to the Studio 6 for a fire. First responders found the victim with severe burns and began life-saving measures.
“The victim stated ‘Andrew Todd Curtis did this to me. The man came up to me and said you’re going to burn [expletive] and then sprayed me’,” the police report says.
Witnesses told police that the victim had been in an abusive relationship with Curtis and she had asked them to not let him into the hotel room because she was afraid of him.
A witness claimed they saw Curtis run up to the victim, spit on her, and throw a cup of liquid onto her before setting her on fire, the police report states.
Police called for an arson K9 unit to sniff Curtis’ clothes. The report says the dog alerted to the presence of an accelerate. Murray Police also allege Curtis was wearing the same clothes as when he interacted with an officer earlier in the night for the stolen car complaint.
Curtis has an extensive criminal history in Utah, including a conviction of homicide by assault that stemmed from him stabbing a man in Moab in 2010. Curtis was previously charged in 2002 with attempted murder, but pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault.
According to the report, Curtis was released from prison in April of this year.
While the probable cause affidavit does not disclose the exact relationship between Curtis and the victim, it does indicate that she is currently pregnant with his child.
A family member of the victim told Murray Police that Curtis had recently tried to set her house on fire, the report says.
A judge signed an order to hold Curtis in jail without bail Friday morning while prosecutors review the case.
wset.com
