Upstate man arrested after setting husband on fire, officers say

THIS IS WYFF NEWS FOUR TODAY. COMING UP ON WYFF NEWS FOUR PROGRESS IN CHIMNEY ROCK. A LOOK AT WHERE CLEANUP AND RECOVERY EFFORTS STAND TWO MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE HELENE. PLUS, CONSTRUCTION COULD BE AFFECTING HOW SOME PEOPLE GET TO THE AIRPORT THIS THANKSGIVING. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF YOUR TRAVEL PLANS. GOOD MORNING. I’M PEYTON FURTADO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY ON YOUR SATURDAY MORNING. LET’S TAKE A LOOK FROM OUR PARIS MOUNTAIN SKYCAM GORGEOUS SUNRISE. BEAUTIFUL START TO OUR DAY. BEAUTIFUL COLD START TO OUR DAY. 34 DEGREES OUT THERE FEELS LIKE 31. LOOKING LIKE NICE, BEAUTIFUL SKIES ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. AND SPEAKING OF BRIGHT SIDE, WE HAVE SYDNEY SULLIVAN IN THE STUDIO WITH US. SYDNEY, YOU KNOW YOU ALWAYS LIKE TO BRING THE SUNSHINE. WHAT CAN WE TELL FOLKS ABOUT TODAY? WELL, THANK YOU, PEYTON. SO TO YOU AND I HAVE TO SAY, DESPITE THE CHILLY START, WE DO HAVE A GORGEOUS WEEKEND AHEAD. WE’VE GOT LOTS OF SUNSHINE TODAY AND TOMORROW. I KNOW LOTS OF FOOTBALL GOING ON TODAY. IT’S GOING TO BE A COLD ONE, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL. LOOKING AT OUR TEMPERATURES RIGHT NOW, 28 DEGREES IN PICKENS, 36 IN GREENVILLE, ANDERSON 42, 41 IN SPARTANBURG. ASHEVILLE 38 DEGREES. SO CHILLY CONDITIONS ARE STILL STICKING AROUND THROUGH THE MORNING, BUT WE WILL START TO SEE A GRADUAL WARM UP THIS AFTERNOON. SO I KNOW IF YOU’RE TRYING TO DO ANY TAILGATING, KEEP THAT IN MIND BECAUSE YOU’LL NEED TO PACK A FEW EXTRA LAYERS. I KNOW I’VE ALREADY GOT A FEW EXTRA HEAVIER JACKETS READY TO GO FOR SOME OF THE GAMES LATER TODAY. TAKING A LOOK AT OUR LIVE SUPER DOPPLER FOUR DRY CONDITIONS, THOUGH, STILL COULD SEE A FEW FLURRIES ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS MORNING, BUT MOST OF THAT WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH. AND THEN WE’RE LOOKING AT LOTS OF SUNSHINE. ONCE WE BREAK THROUGH THE CLOUDS FOR THE MOUNTAINS, THE REST OF US THE SUN IS ALREADY SHINING AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE GORGEOUS CONDITIONS. THE REST OF THE DAY. IT STILL WILL REMAIN A LITTLE BIT ON THE BREEZY SIDE, MAINLY FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. LOOK AT THE WIND GUSTS TOWARDS ASHEVILLE AND HENDERSONVILLE OVER 30MPH. SO BREEZY CONDITIONS CERTAINLY MAKE THOSE TEMPERATURES FEEL EVEN COOLER. AND OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS, WE’LL START TO SEE OUR TEMPERATURES RISE A LITTLE BIT WARMER THAN YESTERDAY WILL PUSH WILL BE PUSHING THAT 60 DEGREE MARK FOR THE UPSTATE AND RIGHT NEAR 50 FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. BUT COMING UP, WE’LL HAVE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE REST OF YOUR WEEKEND FORECAST AND WHERE TEMPERATURES GO FROM HERE. PEYTON. THANK YOU. SYDNEY. WE’RE FOLLOWING SOME BREAKING NEWS IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, WHERE OFFICIALS SAY A WOMAN IS DEAD AFTER AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING. NOW, DEPUTIES TELL US THIS HAPPENED AT AROUND 215 THIS MORNING AT KMART PLAZA. THIS IS ON THE CORNER OF KMART AND MARU. WE’RE TOLD A WOMAN WAS MAKING THREATS TO HARM OTHERS WHEN DEPUTIES ARRIVED, AN ARGUMENT STARTED BETWEEN HER AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. THEY SAY DURING THAT ARGUMENT, THE WOMAN PULLED OUT A KNIFE, LEADING TO AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING. WE’RE TOLD THAT THE SUSPECT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE LATER DIED. SHERIFF HOBART LEWIS IS SHARING SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. THE SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION IS ON SCENE TO CONDUCT THEIR INVESTIGATION, AS WELL AS OUR OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. SHERIFF LEWIS ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS NO THREAT TO THE PUBLIC, AND NO DEPUTIES WERE INJURED. THE DEPUTIES INVOLVED ARE GOING TO BE PLACED ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, AS IS WHAT THEY TYPICALLY DO. AND WE’RE ALSO FOLLOWING SOME BREAKING NEWS IN ANDERSON COUNTY THIS MORNING. YOU CAN SEE THIS VIDEO RIGHT NOW. SCDOT SAYS TWO RIGHT LANES ARE CLOSED ON I-85 NORTHBOUND NEAR EXIT 27. OFFICIALS SAY THIS CRASH HAPPENED AT AROUND 530. THIS MORNING. AND ACCORDING TO OUR REPORTER EARLIER ON THE SCENE, TRAFFIC WAS BEING MOVED UP. THE NORTHBOUND EXIT 27 RAMP ACROSS HIGHWAY 81 AND BACK UP ONTO THE INTERSTATE. A REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE ANDERSON COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE SAYS THREE PEOPLE ARE INJURED. THAT’S ALL WE KNOW AT THIS POINT. WE’RE GOING TO UPDATE YOU AS WE LEARN MORE. MOVING OVER TO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. PEOPLE ACROSS THAT AREA ARE DEALING WITH SOME FRIGID TEMPERATURES, AND IT COMES AS RECOVERY CONTINUES AFTER HELENE, MAYOR OF CHIMNEY ROCK, SAYS THE TOWN IS YEARS AWAY FROM A FULL RECOVERY. OUR NATE STANLEY SPOKE TO HIM TODAY. HE BRINGS US THEIR PROGRESS AS THE WEATHER TURNS COLD. HERE ON MAIN STREET IN CHIMNEY ROCK, MANY OF THE BUSINESSES LOOK LIKE THE ONE BEHIND ME BOARDED UP ON THE OUTSIDE. BUT IF WE LOOK INSIDE, WE CAN SEE SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS. MANY OF THE SUPPORT BEAMS BEING REPLACED, DRYWALL TAKEN OFF TO BE REPLACED AFTER DAMAGE FROM THE FLOODING. MANY OF THE BUSINESSES HERE LOOK LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW. JUST ANOTHER STEP INTO HEALING FOR THIS COMMUNITY. TRUCK BY TRUCK. BRINGING CHIMNEY ROCK ONE STEP CLOSER TO NORMAL. IT’S BEEN BEEN CONSTANT CONSTRUCTION, CONSTANT CLEANING, CONSTANT TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD WITH DUMP TRUCKS AND BIG VEHICLES. NEARLY TWO MONTHS AFTER HELENE, DAMAGE IS STILL EVIDENT AS RUBBLE SITS WHERE HOMES USED TO BE. BUT AS NATURE FINDS A WAY TO REGROW, SO DO THE PEOPLE OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. I THINK OUR LEGISLATORS AND THE THE FOLKS IN DC KNOW THAT WE WERE HIT HARD, AND WE NEED A LOT OF ASSISTANCE TO GET BACK ON OUR FEET. AND WE’RE VERY, VERY HOPEFUL THAT THAT ASSISTANCE WILL BE FORTHCOMING. WITH COLD WEATHER IN STORE, MAYOR O’LEARY SAYS MOST OF THOSE DISPLACED HAVE A STABLE, TEMPORARY LIVING SITUATION. WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE AND ARE SAFE AND SECURE. AS FAR AS GETTING BACK INTO THEIR HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR DESTROYED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT’S STILL BEING WORKED OUT ON THE HORIZON. PROGRESS WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND A GOAL TO REOPEN MAIN STREET IN THE SPRING. THE WATER AND SEWER FOR MAIN STREET, WHICH IS KIND OF OUR REAL PRESSING ISSUE RIGHT NOW. WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE THAT IN THIS SPRING, AND THAT WILL HELP US DETERMINE WHEN WE CAN OPEN. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, ALTHOUGH MANY OF THESE UPDATES SEEM SLOW, THE MAYOR SAYS THEY ARE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND A PATH TOWARDS RECOVERY. REPORTING IN CHIMNEY ROCK, NATE STANLEY, WYFF NEWS FOUR. AND NEW. THIS MORNING A LISTERIA OUTBREAK HAS BEEN TIED TO A SPARTANBURG COUNTY BUSINESS. OFFICIALS SAY YUSHENG FOODS INCORPORATED RECALLED ABOUT 72,000 POUNDS OF READY TO EAT MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS THAT MAY HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH LISTERIA. SOME PRODUCTS WERE CALLED RECALLED BACK ON NOVEMBER NINTH, ALL READY TO EAT PRODUCTS PRODUCED BEFORE OCTOBER 28TH, 2024 ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THAT RECALL. SO ON FRIDAY, HEALTH OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT AN INFANT AND AT LEAST TEN OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN SICK FROM THESE FOODS. AND RIGHT NOW, AUTHORITIES IN THE MIDLANDS ARE ASKING FOR HELP SEARCHING FOR AN ATTEMPTED MURDER SUSPECT. DEPUTIES ARE SEARCHING FOR 26 YEAR OLD MARCUS GIBBS. THEY BELIEVE MARCUS GIBBS WAS LAST SEEN IN THE GREENVILLE COUNTY AREA. INVESTIGATORS SAY HE’S WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH AN AUGUST SHOOTING IN COLUMBIA AND ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL THE RICHLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT. ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AT THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT COULD MAKE THANKSGIVING TRAVEL PLANS A LITTLE INTERESTING FOR PEOPLE DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT, AND OFFICIALS ARE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS. REY LLERENA HAS THE DETAILS. PLANES. TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES PACKED THE NEW TERMINAL LOOP AT THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY WHEN EVERYBODY IS TRAVELING, SO IT’S REALLY CHAOTIC. AND THAT’S TRUE AT ANY AIRPORT. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I FOUND IT PRETTY NAVIGABLE. THE NEW LOOP OPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR AS PART OF A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT. WE ENJOY IT. WE THINK THIS IS THE SECOND EXPANSION AND WE COME HERE ALL THE TIME. WE’LL DO ANYTHING TO AVOID ATLANTA. OFFICIALS SAY IT MORE THAN DOUBLED ITS FRONT CURB LENGTH, BUT WORK ON THE ROUNDABOUTS STILL REMAINS. SIGNAGE DIRECTING DRIVERS AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMING TO PICK ME UP, AND I JUST START WALKING DOWN THAT WAY TO TRY AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO FIND ME AND TO GET IN AND OUT. BUT ONCE YOU’RE INTO THAT CIRCLE, YOU’RE LIKE LAND LOCKED. CONSTRUCTION ALSO ONGOING ON A NEW PARKING GARAGE SET TO OPEN IN 2026. I LOVE OUR SMALL AIRPORT BECAUSE IT IS SUPER EASY TO GET IN AND OUT OF, SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND SO I’M HOPING THAT IT DOESN’T GET TOO BIG AND TOO CONGESTED. WHILE WORK GOES ON OUTSIDE, TRAVELERS ALSO HOPING FOR CHANGES INSIDE OF THE TERMINAL. LIKE I SAID, JUST NEED A COUPLE OF LITTLE PUB CRAWL ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND MAYBE IN THE SECOND FLOOR AND WE’RE GOOD. VACATION TIME OBVIOUSLY. THAT WAS OUR REY LLERENA REPORTING IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE’S ANNUAL ROLLING THUNDER OPERATION HAS ENDED. IT’S THE WEEK OF INTERSTATE ENFORCEMENT WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT ZEROES IN ON I-85 AND 26 LOOKING FOR DRUGS AND STOLEN ITEMS AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. ON FRIDAY, SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT TALKED ABOUT WHAT AUTHORITIES CONFISCATED. THE SHERIFF SAYS BECAUSE OF THEIR EFFORTS, THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE SAFER. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WHAT WE GOT OFF THE STREET ABOUT 90% OF IT, WAS COMING TO SPARTANBURG COUNTY, NOT JUST PASSING THROUGH. SHERIFF WRIGHT SAYS THEY SEIZED OVER 300 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA, 31 POUNDS OF THC WAX AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CASH AND CIGNA IS RESPONDING AFTER TWO HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ANNOUNCED CHANGES FOR POLICYHOLDERS. SPARTANBURG REGIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM SAYS ITS AGREEMENT WILL END DECEMBER 31ST. CIGNA SAYS IN PART, QUOTE, THEIR UNREASONABLE DEMANDS FOR A 23% RATE INCREASE WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY RAISE COSTS FOR LOCAL EMPLOYERS. THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY PAY THE BILLS. THIS WILL NOT AFFECT CIGNA MEDICARE CONTRACTS AT SPARTANBURG REGIONAL AND BOCCE COURT PLANS TO END PARTICIPATION IN CIGNA’S MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN ON JANUARY 1ST. CIGNA SAYS IN PART, QUOTE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS IN THE REGION AND WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM ON CARE, TRANSITION PLANS WHERE NEEDED. YO

Spartanburg man arrested after setting husband on fire, officers say

Updated: 5:39 PM EST Nov 23, 2024

The Spartanburg Police Department said a man was arrested after setting his husband on fire.(Video above: WYFF News 4 Morning Headlines)Early Saturday morning, an officer responded to Amos Street in Spartanburg regarding a domestic disturbance.Upon the officer’s arrival, the victim was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. The victim later stated around noon on Friday, he attempted to go to work when his husband, Eugene Rice, stated that he was going to kill him. The victim thought nothing of it, assumed Rice was upset and continued to go to work.When the victim came back home, Rice began arguing with the victim. The husband told Rice that he was acting crazy. Rice responded with, “I’ll show you crazy,” and went to another room, returned with a bottle of rubbing alcohol, sprayed the rubbing alcohol on his husband and then set him on fire.The husband took off his hoodie and began rolling to attempt to put out the fire. He then immediately called 911. Rice then fled the area.The officer said he observed burns on the victim’s left hand and his left ear. The victim’s eyes were cloudy and red and his hair was burned.According to police, Rice was arrested and charged with aggravated domestic violence.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. —

The Spartanburg Police Department said a man was arrested after setting his husband on fire.

(Video above: WYFF News 4 Morning Headlines)

Early Saturday morning, an officer responded to Amos Street in Spartanburg regarding a domestic disturbance.

Upon the officer’s arrival, the victim was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. The victim later stated around noon on Friday, he attempted to go to work when his husband, Eugene Rice, stated that he was going to kill him. The victim thought nothing of it, assumed Rice was upset and continued to go to work.

When the victim came back home, Rice began arguing with the victim. The husband told Rice that he was acting crazy. Rice responded with, “I’ll show you crazy,” and went to another room, returned with a bottle of rubbing alcohol, sprayed the rubbing alcohol on his husband and then set him on fire.

The husband took off his hoodie and began rolling to attempt to put out the fire. He then immediately called 911. Rice then fled the area.

The officer said he observed burns on the victim’s left hand and his left ear. The victim’s eyes were cloudy and red and his hair was burned.

According to police, Rice was arrested and charged with aggravated domestic violence.