Attempted murder charge in fire attack

Howard County police have charged a homeless man in a warrant with setting his girlfriend on fire, leaving her with severe burns.

Forty-eight-year-old Richard Rodola faces charges of attempted murder, assault and arson for the attack on the woman, whose name has not been released.

Police say Rodola and the woman were in a relationship and were living in a wooded area in Laurel. A witness called police Saturday afternoon to report that a man had set a woman on fire in the woods.

The victim is being treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, and police say she's in critical condition.

Rodola was arrested a few hours after the victim was found. He was taken to Bayview for treatment of minor burns, where he remains under police guard. He'll be formally charged once he's released.

-- Associated Press