Memphis Man Arrested For Setting Wife’s Car On Fire With Help From Mistress

Two people have been arrested and charged in Memphis this week after reports of a car being set on fire. Further investigation revealed that the victim was the wife of one of the suspects, Travis Davison, and he got help from his mistress.

The incident took place on July 30, according to Action News 5, when the Memphis Fire Department responded to a call for a burning vehicle on Second Street. Upon arrival, they found Davison’s estranged wife, who explained what had taken place. She claimed that she was sitting in her car when another vehicle pulled up and parked in front of her.

Per the affidavit, the victim said that she could hear a man’s voice, later identified as her 44-year-old estranged husband, over the car’s Bluetooth. He told the driver, “Light the bi**h up!” and then a woman’s voice could be heard over the phone. The driver got out of the car and began pouring gasoline on the victim’s vehicle. She crawled out of the car right as it was being set on fire.

The police later discovered that Jessica Nicole Rios, the woman with whom Davison was having an affair, was his accomplice in the matter; the 39-year-old mistress had previous reports of harassment linked to the victim, who had been married to Davison for five years before becoming estranged. Davison and Rios have both been charged with attempted second-degree murder. They are expected to appear in court on Wednesday (Aug. 13).

“We have to take a stand against domestic violence,” Teneka Ellington, founder of Reach Hope Foundation, said of the incident. “It can no longer be swept under the rug. It’s not right. It’s affecting so many families. We can file different paper works and press charges and all of them, but people can still get released and they can find you.”