Calverton man charged with setting fire to girlfriend, DA says

A Calverton man was arraigned Tuesday on an upgraded charge of trying to kill his girlfriend by allegedly setting her on fire, an incident that also sparked a brush fire.

Ryan Osborne, 30, was held without bail on an indictment charging him with second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree arson, two counts of second degree assault, aggravated criminal contempt and two counts of second-degree criminal contempt, according to the Suffolk district attorney’s office.

His Legal Aid attorney could not be immediately reached Tuesday. Legal Aid usually declines to comment during the early stages of a case.

Prosecutors said the victim, who was homeless, was living in a tent in the wooded area behind Osborne’s Forge Road home when she was burned the night of May 17, the day after she and Osborne argued.

When Osborne poured a flammable liquid through her tent’s mesh opening, the feeling of something wet on her legs woke up the victim, prosecutors said.

Looking up, she caught Osborne in the act with a container in his hand, authorities said.

She heard him walking around the tent and then her shelter went up in flames, prosecutors said. With her legs on fire, the victim dove out of the zipped-up tent flaps and rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames, authorities said.

She saw Osborne running off and walked to a nearby home to get help, officials said.

The victim, 33, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, which has a burn treatment unit, to be treated for injuries to her legs, face and hands, authorities said.

The Riverhead Fire Department put out the brush fire.

The criminal contempt charges stem from Osborne’s alleged violation of a permanent order of protection, issued in January 2016, directing Osborne to stay away from the woman.