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A trip to a music festival took a chaotic turn when a self-proclaimed 'fire goddess' allegedly set a car ablaze while her two friends slept inside after a fight over drugs.
Nicole Najlis, 30, was arrested in Hesperia, California, on Tuesday after authorities were alerted to a vehicle fire at a truck stop, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
When cops arrived, two cars were completely engulfed in flames, and one of the vehicle's owners identified Najlis as the alleged culprit.
They told deputies that they were on a trip from San Diego to Las Vegas for a music festival when an argument broke out over Xanax pills.
Najlis is a self-proclaimed 'goddess', and her social media profiles show her performing choreographed routines with fire.
She has been accused of pouring fuel onto the trunk of the car before igniting a flame while two of her friends slept inside.
Najlis was arrested for attempted murder and arson and booked into the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on a $1 million bond.
James Bahr, the owner of the vehicle destroyed by the flames, told the California Post that he had invited Najlis on the trip after she struggled with housing and an abusive relationship. He recalled that Najlis was drinking and then demanded his prescription Xanax, saying she was 'harassing' him for it after he denied her.
Nicole Najlis, 30, was arrested on Tuesday after a dispute between friends on a road trip turned disastrous
A friend driving the vehicle, James Bahr, said Najlis demanded he hand over his prescription Xanax, resulting in a dispute that ended in her allegedly setting fire to his car
Najlis is a self-proclaimed 'fire goddess' and 'cosmic nymph.' Her social media profiles show her performing choreography with fire at numerous events
'She got so upset that she had punched me in the head while I was driving,' Bahr said.
He was so disoriented from the alleged punch that he lost control of the wheel and was forced to pull into a gas station.
After the car was parked, Bahr said he demanded that Najlis leave. When she refused, he removed her belongings from the car.
'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 recalled.
Luckily, the two other travelers sleeping in the vehicle awoke to the chaos and escaped before flames engulfed them.
Bahr told the Post that he is a professional licensed pyrotechnician, so he had propane tanks and fire-effects equipment in his car.
The vehicle exploded just seconds after the fire broke out, completely destroying his car.
He called the experience 'a terrifying and life-changing event' in the description of a GoFundMe set up to replace what he lost in the fire.
Bahr said he is a licensed pyrotechnician and had propane tanks in his vehicle, resulting in a massive fire that destroyed two vehicles
Najlis has been charged with attempted murder and arson. She was booked into the High Desert Detention Center in California on a $1 million bond
'My vehicle was completely destroyed. Along with it, I lost my power equipment, clothes, tools, and personal belongings,' Bahr wrote.
'Now, I have no vehicle, no equipment, and no real way to replace what I lost on my own.'
Najlis, who lives in Oregon, Facebook profile lists her skills as 'yoga instructor, performer, hula hoop, fire spin, aerial silks and tattoo lover.' She described her profession as a 'Cosmic Nymph performer.'
Just last week, Najlis shared a poem on her Instagram account that read in part, 'I choose love, and I will continue choosing love, again and again, for that is my true nature.'
A LinkedIn profile associated with her name said she was bilingual and last worked at a yoga studio in Costa Rica until 2017.
Najlis appeared in court on Thursday morning. She has yet to enter a plea for the charges against her and does not appear to have retained an attorney.
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