A Florida woman has been arrested after allegedly setting a man on fire following an argument, leaving him with severe burns across 80% of his body and in critical condition, according to police.
Tanisha Shelton, 45, was involved in a heated dispute with Nathaniel Devon Mathis, 33, several hours before the alleged attack, according to a police report obtained by CBS and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said the argument ended when Shelton left the scene, but not before allegedly threatening to return with someone to attack Mathis.
Police allege that Shelton returned hours later carrying a bucket containing a plastic bag filled with an accelerant. She then asked a witness if she could borrow a lighter before allegedly pouring the substance over Mathis and setting him on fire.
Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Northwest 63rd Street and Northwest 25th Avenue at around 6 p.m. They found Mathis unconscious and suffering from extensive burns, authorities said.
Mathis was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where medical staff determined that he had second-degree and third-degree burns covering approximately 80% of his body. He remained in critical condition, and authorities said he was not expected to survive.
According to police, one witness pepper-sprayed Shelton as she attempted to leave the scene after the alleged attack.
Other witnesses provided identification information that helped investigators locate Shelton and take her into custody, according to the police report.
Shelton is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Jail records list attempted murder and arson among the charges she faces.
The allegations have not been established in court.
