Man Set Woman On Fire Over Taxes, Family Finances: Officials

MILWAUKEE, WI — A 28-year-old Milwaukee man has been arrested and charged after authorities say he set the mother of his children on fire following an argument about taxes and family finances.

Javaunte Jefferson is now being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on the following charges:

• Attempted first-degree intentional homicide
• First-degree reckless injury
• Arson of a building
• Three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee, police and firefighters were sent to a fire on the 1500 block of N. 8th Street in Milwaukee just after 3:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day.

When officers arrived, they found 23-year-old Savannah Bailey with life-threatening burns on her body. Authorities said first responders treated her burns. She asked about her children, and authorities assured that her children were both safe and warm, the criminal complaint stated.

According to the criminal complaint, Bailey said Jefferson "just got to pouring gasoline on me" after she and Jefferson got into an argument. She tried putting herself out by putting snow on herself.

The first officer on-scene that night saw Bailey "smoldering" and could smell burnt hair and skin. The officer reported seeing skin hanging off her body, and burnt clothing hanging from her partially-nude body, the criminal complaint stated.

Investigators say Bailey was rushed to the hospital for care. She had burns covering 60 percent of her body, mostly to her hips, head and back. She had severe burns to her face, which caused swelling, discoloration and blistering to her face. Her hair had been burnt to the scalp. Doctors said most of her burns were third-degree burns.

A witness told police she heard Bailey run out of the apartment, and on fire. She saw Jefferson put a black bag into the rear of a car before driving away, the criminal complaint stated.

According to the criminal complaint, Bailey was asleep in the apartment's bedroom when she was awoken by Jefferson as he poured gasoline on her. He ignited Bailey, who ran out of the apartment in a panic, the complaint said. When investigators walked through the fire scene, they saw the walls of the room were smoke-stained and heat damaged. The mattress where she slept had been mostly consumed by fire.

When police spoke with Jefferson's 8-year-old brother, he told police he heard Jefferson and Bailey arguing about how she "wouldn't pay her taxes and was buying other stuff," the complaint said.

"February 14, 2020 around 5:30 am I got the wrost news of my life detectives came to my mother house and told us (Savannah Bailey) which is my sister was in a fire and that her house was burn down and she was set on fire while her kids where left outside in the cold with barely clothes or no shoes," sister Sharrissa Johnson said in a GoFundMe page that is raising money for her sister and her two children, Cerenity, 4, and Cemaya, 1.

Court records show that Jefferson is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 27.

Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.