Woman sets common-law-husband on fire

The last day of the year is a day when love rules and old sins are forgiven with the hopes of a fresh start. While that may be the norm, a Rancho Dolores woman had her own twist for the New Year. She wanted to do it alone or at least without her common-law-husband. But instead of leaving him, she decided to set him on fire. On December thirty-first, fifty-one year old Viola Pook did just that. When the police arrived at their home, they saw forty-seven year old Orlando Vasquez, lying face up on the floor of the smoldered kitchen with burns all over his body. Though Vasquez had serious burns and scalds all over, he was still alive. He was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he died this morning. Pook admitted to the police that she lit Vasquez on fire when they detained her. Late this evening she was charged with the Murder of Vasquez in Magistrates’ Court. She will be on remand until her case comes up for trial on January ninth, 2009.