Brooklyn man arraigned for allegedly setting girlfriend on fire

Kenneth Rickenbacker, 44, was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Monday following an alleged arson attack in Crown Heights. Prosecutors allege that during a verbal dispute on October 24, Rickenbacker threatened his 11-year-old daughter with a knife before dousing his 38-year-old girlfriend in accelerant and setting her ablaze.

The victim was transported to Weill Cornell Hospital Burn Center, where she remains in a medically induced coma. Following the assault, Rickenbacker allegedly fled the Kingsborough Houses apartment. While prosecutors describe the event as a brutal assault, Rickenbacker told police the incident was a ‘bizarre accident’ that occurred after he pushed the victim during an altercation.