On porch with a PBR, man watched car he set on fire, thinking his girlfriend was cheating

Turns out, car was just working
improperly and needed to be parked

Alcohol and jealousy are about as potent a mixture as charcoal and lighter fluid.

All were present on Charles Street in La Crosse around 1 a.m. Friday in an incident one might say “escalated quickly.”

Christopher Johnson decided to grill out, using another man’s car as the grill.

He saw the car parked at his home. Figured it was there because his girlfriend was cheating on him. So, he got out the charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid and set the vehicle on aflame, watching from his porch with a can of PBR. 

When police arrived, the car was engulfed in flames, while Johnson on the porch, PBR in hand.

Johnson later blew a .264.

At first, Johnson told police he didn’t know anything – slurring his speech – and nearly tripped on the fire hose as he went into his house.

When police knocked on his door some time later, Johnson was a little more forthcoming. He asked the officer to take him to jail. The officer asked why. And Johnson asked if he could go to jail for setting something on fire.

The officer replied, “Maybe.”

Johnson then admitted to setting the car on fire without being questioned about it.

When asked how he did it, Johnson said he took the bag of charcoal and lighter fluid and set the car on fire. He then said he didn’t want to answer any questions.

Police found a piece of charcoal bag and lighter fluid at Johnson’s back door. They found charcoal in the car, too, of course.

Johnson’s girlfriend later came out from inside the house and asked what he had done. Johnson, twice, said he set the car on fire.

Johnson’s girlfriend was home when he discovered the car at his home. They argued about whether or not she was cheating on him for about 15 minutes, because the car was parked there.

A little while after that, Johnson came back in from outside with “a smile on his face,” the criminal report says, and said, “I set the car on fire.” His girlfriend looked out the window, saw the car in flames and dialed 911.

So, why was the car parked at their home?

The girlfriend contends someone gave her a ride home from class, but the car then began acting funny. So, that person parked it at their home and got a ride from another friend.

Police asked the woman if Johnson had any physical contact with her during the incident and she replied, “Not this time.”

She then explained on the evening of June 1, around 9 p.m., the two were arguing and she decided to retreat to the spare bedroom. Johnson followed her in there, picked her up, brought her back to their bedroom and threw her on the bed. 

The girlfriend retreated to the spare bedroom again. This time, Johnson brought her back and threw her against the wall. This happened two more times. Johnson, apparently, threw her against the wall three times, causing bruises to her ankle, hip and head. The last time, leaving her unconscious. 

Johnson is charged with disorderly conduct, arson and misdemeanor battery, domestic abuse.