SUDBURY -- Warning: This story contains graphic details. Reader discretion is advised.

Sudbury police say a 31-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly locked his partner in a room and set the apartment on fire last week.

Officers responded to a violent incident involving intimate partners shortly before 1 a.m. on Jan. 6.

A 25-year-old woman could be heard yelling for help and smoke was seen coming from the front window of an apartment as officers arrived, police said.

"Once inside officers could hear the woman screaming from inside of a room that had been barricaded from the outside, preventing her from being able to get out," Greater Sudbury Police Service said in a news release. "The officers entered the room, located the woman and escorted her out of the building to safety."

Firefighters were able to put the fire out and paramedics treated the woman and responding officers for smoke inhalation at the scene.

"Through the investigation, it was determined that the man and the woman had gotten into a verbal argument that quickly turned physical leading to the man assaulting the woman and then forcing her into a room where he set off fireworks and barricaded her inside. The man then set fire to another room in the unit before fleeing the scene," police said.

As a result, the man was arrested shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Friday on Elgin Street. He has been charged with:

  • Assault
  • Assault with a weapon
  • Arson
  • Forcible confinement
  • Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm
  • Failure to comply with order

He remains in custody and police said his name is being withheld in order to protect the identity of his partner, as is the location of the incident.

If you or someone you know is being affected by domestic violence, there is help available.

Find more information and resources here.

Support service available in Sudbury for survivors

None of the allegations has been proven in court.