A self-proclaimed “fire goddess” and online fire performer is facing attempted murder and arson charges after she allegedly doused a car with fuel and set it ablaze while two people slept inside next to propane tanks, all because her friend wouldn’t hand over his prescription Xanax.
Nicole Najlis, 30, known as “Cosmic Nymph” on social media, was arrested early Tuesday at the Pilot Travel Center truck stop in Hesperia, California, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies arrived to find two vehicles engulfed in flames, with bystanders pointing them straight to Najlis.
The horror unfolded during a road trip from San Diego back to Las Vegas. James Bahr, a professional pyrotechnician who had taken pity on the down-on-her-luck Najlis and offered her a ride along with two others, said the nightmare started when she began demanding his Xanax pills.
“I refused, and she became violent, hitting me in the head while I was driving,” Bahr told reporters. He pulled over and told her to get out. That’s when things turned deadly.
“She started to move around some of my stuff… Then I smell gas, and as soon as I said, ‘What is that smell?’ she threw a match and lit the car on fire,” Bahr recounted.
The two other passengers were asleep in the Honda Element when the flames erupted, and the vehicle was packed with Bahr’s pyrotechnic equipment and propane tanks, turning the whole thing into a potential bomb. Miraculously, they woke up to the chaos and escaped unharmed.
Bahr’s car and all his expensive gear were completely destroyed, with damages estimated at around $12,000. He later set up a GoFundMe to recover.
