Man accused of setting his house on fire during argument

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WTVQ) – A Bowling Green man is accused of setting his own house on fire during an argument with his girlfriend and then damaging a police car after his arrest, according to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say 39-year old Amy Garrison, of Bowling Green, called authorities saying her boyfriend, 40-year old John Cox, had physically and verbally abused her for several days before setting a blanket on fire that was hanging on a door in his home during an argument.

She told investigators Cox said after setting the fire that, “she could just sit in there and burn.”

Garrison told deputies after the blanket started burning, she left the home and Cox followed her outside, forcing her to walk down the road to a friend’s house to get a cigarette.

She says at the friend’s house, Cox continued to verbally and physically abuse her, including hitting her across her face with his hand and eventually grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her back toward the burning home.

Investigators say Cox eventually got into a car and tried to drive away from the scene, but was stopped by deputies.

After Cox was arrested and put in the back seat of a police car, he became agitated and tried to kick out the rear window, which damaged the door, according to deputies.

Investigators say at the time of his arrest, there was an active Domestic Violence Order between Garrison and Cox with Cox being the respondent.  The DVO had a no contact order between Cox and Garrison, according to deputies.

Cox was lodged in the Warren County Regional Jail facing several charges, including arson and assault, according to investigators.