The Cartersville man accused of torching his neighbor’s home in a dispute over an unkempt lawn was being treated in the Grady Memorial Hospital burn unit Friday.
Cartersville police Capt. Mark Camp said in an e-mail that Phillip Rodger Bennett, who surrendered to authorities in Murphy, N.C., Thursday morning, was transported back to Bartow County late Thursday afternoon.
“Bennett had burns to his hands and arms,” Camp said. He said that after being examined by medical personnel at the police department’s book-in facility, it was determined that “the burns were too severe to be treated locally so Bennett was transported to Grady Hospital for treatment.”
Authorities claim that Wednesday afternoon, Bennett set fire to Marty Corbitt’s home after a long-running dispute over the length of Corbitt’s grass.
According to a police incident report, Bennett threw a brick through a window of Corbitt’s home, then poured gasoline inside the house and lit the gas with a lighter, knowing that Corbitt and his 3-year-old daughter were inside the home.
Corbitt and his daughter escaped unharmed.
Bennett is charged with first-degree arson, aggravated assault, first- and second-degree criminal damage to property, damaging public utilities, second-degree burglary, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, reckless conduct, criminal trespass and making terroristic threats.
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