A 58-year-old North Platte man has been charged with arson and attempted murder following an investigation into a domestic assault and structure fire on Monday evening.

At around 7:06 p.m., officers responded to a mobile home in the 200 block of North McCabe on the report of a disturbance between a male and female.

Officers arrived and found the mobile home on fire, and the North Platte Fire Department arrived on the scene to extinguish it.

In the meantime, officers met with a 54-year-old female who had a cut on her forehead and wet clothing that smelled of gasoline.

Officers then located James Brown standing outside the burning structure.  Investigator John Deal says officers detained him and moved him to a safer location.

Deal says further investigation revealed that Brown and the female lived together in the residence and had once been in a dating relationship.

It was reported to police that the two had been inside the residence and had gotten into an argument. Brown allegedly went outside, grabbed a gas can, then came back inside and began splashing it on the female and the inside of the residence.

Brown then allegedly made a comment about burning the trailer down and began to attempt to light a lighter.

The victim was able to take the lighter away and break it. At this time, Deal says Brown struck the victim in the head.

When the female attempted to leave out the back door, it is alleged that Brown grabbed by the hair and prevented her from leaving. The victim was eventually able to escape to a neighbor’s house.

A short time later, the mobile home started on fire.

Deal says a search warrant was obtained and officers located a gas can, broken lighter and other undisclosed evidence.

Brown was arrested and charged with attempted homicide, felony domestic assault, false imprisonment and first-degree arson, all felonies.

Deal says the trailer was heavily damaged and is a total loss.

The victim was treated at Great Plains Health and released.