A Montgomery man is behind bars, accused of setting a woman on a fire at a motel.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 4 a.m. Monday to the motel in the 1200 block of West South Boulevard on a report of an assault and kidnapping.

Deputies safely recovered the victim. She was hospitalized with serious injuries, said Assistant Chief Deputy Wesley Richerson.

A short time later, deputies located and arrested 26-year-old Amajay Shomari Nelson-Cox. He is charged with first-degree assault and first-degree kidnapping.

Charging documents against the suspect said he poured an accelerant onto the woman’s body and lit her on fire.

Nelson-Cox was booked into the Montgomery County Detention Center at 8:21 p.m. Monday and remains held without bond.

Richerson said the investigation is ongoing. Authorities have not said if the suspect and victim know each other.

“The safety of our community is our top priority,” Richerson said.

“We are committed to ensuring violent offenders are held accountable for their actions. We will not spare any resources to protect victims and bring justice to those who do them harm.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to call investigators at 334-832-4980 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP.