SALEM LAKES, Wis. — As the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department still looks for Myron Bowie, residents in the Salem Lakes neighborhood say this sad incident comes as a complete shock.
"You think you know them and then wow. Something like this happens, ya know it kinda makes you a little more paranoid," said neighbor, Andrew Kasian.
Kasian lives across the street from where police say Bowie set his girlfriend on fire Sunday morning. He says he saw Bowie out frequently.
"Since he moved here, I think it was about four months ago. I greeted him to the neighborhood. Welcomed him to the neighborhood. And I'm a smoker, he's a smoker, so we would meet each other outside for cigarettes," Kasian explained.
Now police say Bowie is on the run as his girlfriend remains in critical condition. Her best friend tells TMJ4’s Megan Lee she is slowly improving in the hospital. She's now able to shake her head yes and no, and write notes on paper.
"This for us, is an all-day everyday kind of occurrence” Jennifer Paine from Women and Children's Horizon explained.
Jennifer Paine is the executive director of the advocacy group in Kenosha County. She says Kenosha County is the second highest in the state for reported domestic violence.
"What that means is that there is a good chance more of it's happening than we are capturing because most people don't speak out about these kinds of things," Paine explained.
Many neighbors on the block said they didn’t see any warning signs.
“Not at all. In fact, I told the police that. I said this guy always seemed calm with his wife out there talking or whatever," said Kasian.
Paine says there are warning signs if you know someone who could be experiencing abuse in their home.
"Control, closing off from family and friends that you might have been connected to in the past. Loss of job, loss of income. Physical appearance might be different. They're not gonna have a good excuse for where they were, why they didn't show up at a certain place, they might be very defensive of their abuser because they are relying on that person for a sense of support," Paine pointed out.
Paine urges everyone to follow their gut if they notice signs of abuse in neighbors, friends, or family.
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Bowie has not been charged with a crime in this case, but there is a warrant out for his arrest. Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
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