Ford exec arrested after his wife told police he assaulted her and threatened to burn 2 of her Hermes purses with a butane torch

Franck Louis-Victor, chief executive officer of the Ford Next unit, was arraigned Monday on charges of arson preparation and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Bloomfield Township police. His bond was set at $25,000 and he remained in the Oakland County jail as of Tuesday afternoon.

Louis-Victor’s wife reported to police on July 8 that her husband threatened to burn two of her purses with a lit butane torch. The handbags were high-end Hermes purses valued at $10,000 each, according to an account in the Detroit News. His wife said Louis-Victor also slapped and headbutted her, and struck her with a Google Nest Hub device, causing a laceration under her left eye that required hospital treatment, police said in a statement.

The executive was interviewed by officers, “made statements supporting the victim’s statements” and was placed under arrest, police said.

Louis-Victor, 50, didn’t respond to requests for comment and efforts to reach him through the company were unsuccessful. Ford said it was aware of the situation but declined to comment further.

Louis-Victor has held significant roles with Ford since joining in 2021 from Groupe Renault. Initially, his duties included overseeing Ford’s autonomous vehicle affiliate Argo AI, which was subsequently shut down. In his current role atop Ford Next, he helps incubate and launch new businesses.