Detroit man charged with attempted murder after lighting former co-workers on fire, prosecutor says

A Detroit man is facing a list of felony charges after police say he lit two of his former co-workers on fire.

Authorities said Roberto Romero returned to his former job at an auto parts manufacturer in Southwest Detroit on Monday morning after he had been fired. While there, he allegedly doused one of his ex-coworker's vehicles with gas and set her on fire. When a colleague saw what was happening and tried to intervene, she was also set on fire. 

"He was using a ketchup bottle filled with gasoline to ignite this, throw the gasoline on the ladies and then light them on fire," said Lisa Coyle, with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. 

Roberto Romero

The victims, both Detroit women in their 50s, were seriously injured in the arson and required medical treatment.

During his arraignment, Coyle said Romero was fired after leaving threatening notes for his co-workers at his job.

Romero was arraigned Wednesday on charges of two counts of assault with intent to murder, placing offensive substance causing serious injury, placing offensive substance causing physical injury, two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, and two counts of felonious assault. He was remanded to jail.

"It is hard to imagine a a more scarring and painful scenario that being set on fire. The alleged actions of this defendant would be met with vigorous prosecution and an aggressive path to accountability," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

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