An Alabama man was charged Tuesday afternoon after police say he set his wife on fire, leaving her in critical condition.

Riley Herbert Willis III, 40, of Decatur was being held in jail without bond on charges of arson and first-degree assault, Decatur police said.

Investigators said he set his wife on fire and then spread a flammable substance in their apartment and set it on fire before fleeing.

Police were called to Summer Courtyard Apartment after a caller reported a burn victim. Their investigation led them to believe the husband was responsible and they found him hiding inside another, nearby apartment.

The victim was last reported in critical condition at UAB Hospital.