Wilmington man charged with attempted murder, arson

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man has been arrested for attempted murder and arson, among other charges.

The Wilmington Police Department responded to a home in the 1200 block of S. 8th Street just before 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning and found the house engulfed in flames.

They quickly discovered a woman had been assaulted by a man who was still inside the home. Two officers went into the house fire and pulled him out, while another WPD officer went in and crawled on his hands and knees beneath the smoke searching for any remaining residents.

The officer located one K9 and was able to carry the dog out to safety. During this, additional officers were working to extinguish the fire until the Wilmington Fire Department arrived to help save the home.

The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries during this incident.

40-year-old Matthew Baker II from Wilmington was arrested in connection to this crime and has been charged with Attempted Murder, Second Degree Arson, Animal Cruelty, and Interfere with Emergency Communications.

He is currently being held at the NHCSO Detention Center under a $1,000,000 secured bond.