Man Charged with Setting Roommate on Fire

LONGVIEW (Staff/AP) � A Longview man remains jailed, charged with setting his sleeping roommate on fire. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Jeremy Kellum, 32, was arrested around 5:30 Monday afternoon. He was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury after he lit Raymond Hellwig�s legs on fire Saturday. This is according to the criminal complaint filed by investigators for his arrest. According to the complaint, another roommate, Donnie Mayo, told police he saw �Kellum put lighter fluid on Hellwig�s pant legs and set Mr. Hellwig�s legs on fire.� The two had reportedly argued earlier that night, and Kellum allegedly made threats to burn the building in the 1200 block of Alpine Road to the ground.

Investigators said they spoke with Hellwig at Good Shepherd Medical Center, where he was immediately taken before being moved to the Burn Unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. According to the criminal complaint, Hellwig and Kellum were arguing about an assault Kellum committed on Mayo. Hellwig told police Kellum told him he would �burn him up.� Hellwig woke with �extreme leg pain� and �looked down at his feet and saw that his pants/legs were on fire,� according to his arrest affidavit. Hellwig had burns on his left leg below the knee and his right leg around the ankle, according to the criminal complaint. A nurse told police Hellwig had second-degree burns. He’s now listed in fair condition. Kellum is held in the Gregg County Jail on $250,000 bond.