A Chattanooga man was sentenced to a decade in prison for setting a house on fire with his girlfriend inside.
Van Edward Keith III, 45, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated domestic assault and arson, Chattanooga Fire Department spokesperson Lindsey Rogers said in a Thursday news release.
Keith was facing an aggravated arson charge, which carries a sentence of up to 60 years in prison, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of arson as part of an agreement with state prosecutors, according to the Hamilton County Criminal Court records.
The woman said she ‘played dead’ while this was happening and was able to escape the home to scream for help.
Neighbors called 911 and the woman “faced a long recovery process,” according to the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD).