Womack sentenced for arson

A man who torched his neighbor?s property following a disagreement will serve 10 years in prison for the crime.

The defendant, Robert A. Womack entered guilty pleas to charges of arson and two counts of setting fire to personal property. The charges were amended down from aggravated arson in light of his guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley.

His charges come for the burning in late 2004 of his neighbors? Pontiac Sunbird and Ford F150 pickup. The fires were started after Womack had a confrontation with his neighbors earlier in the day.

Helping link Womack to the arsons was a neighbor who reported the defendant had tried to borrow gas from him just prior to the fire being discovered.

Lawmen said it appeared Womack had tried to ignite the gas tank of the pick up first, but having no luck, opted to torch the inside of the vehicles.

The fire spread onto the nearby home, doing damage to the structure before firemen were able to bring the blaze under control. The vehicles were total losses.

While awaiting charges at Warren County Jail, Womack suffered what Sheriff Jackie Matheny described as a seizure, which caused Womack to fall onto the floor resulting in further injury beyond that caused by the seizure.

The injuries and/or after-effects of the seizure left Womack near death for several days, thereby delaying the case against him. Womack continues to suffer ongoing physical problems.