TYLER, Texas — A Tyler man accused of setting a couch on fire while arguing with his girlfriend has been indicted on an arson charge.
Dwayne Richard, 22, was indicted by a Smith County grand jury on Jan. 13 in connection with an Oct. 20, 2021 fire at a duplex in Tyler, according to police and court records.
Since his arrest that same day, he's been in the Smith County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
Richard has a plea agreement hearing set for March 14 in the 241st District Court, according to judicial records.
According to an arrest affidavit, Richard's girlfriend told investigators they had been in an ongoing altercation when the fire occurred at the residence on Easy Street.
She told police that during the fight, Richard intentionally set the couch on fire. She said he pulled her back into the home and told her, "we are both going to die in here today," the affidavit read.
Investigators also noticed several windows were broken and the girlfriend said Richard also broke those during the altercation, according to the document.
Richard was booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of failure to identify himself and an outstanding warrant out of Louisiana.
During an interview at the jail, Richard said because he was angry at his girlfriend he used a cigarette lighter to set some papers on fire to then set the couch ablaze, according to the affidavit.
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