Kenneth Parker said his plans for a leisurely Sunday evening cookout were disrupted when his former girlfriend tried to set his camper on fire.
Firefighters and police got the call around 7:30 p.m. and drove to the trailer park on Crest Drive on the outskirts of Belmont.
By the time firefighters arrived, Parker said he and his friends had extinguished the small fire and his former girlfriend had left.
According to Parker, Stephanie Neal Price came to his camper in an angry and intoxicated state.
Parker said he was outside the camper with friends when Price walked up and slapped him.
According to Parker, the woman then returned with a gas can.
“We thought it was a joke,” he said.
Parker said the 42-year-old Lowell woman smiled, struck a match then flung it at the pool of gas.
Parker said he and his friends grabbed a bucket of water, put out the fire then called police.
Gaston County police responded and have issued a second-degree arson warrant for Price.
Little damage was done to the outside of the camper which Parker uses as a residence. But Parker said he was too uneasy to sleep at home Sunday night.
He has since gone to the Gaston County Magistrate’s Office and taken out an assault warrant against Price.
Police have searched a few locations but have not yet located Price.
You can reach reporter Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.