MIAMI, FL — A Florida woman is facing attempted murder and arson charges after Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputies say she borrowed a lighter from a witness and then allegedly set a man on fire during a violent confrontation on Saturday.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office says Tanisha Shelton was arrested after the attack on Nathanial Devon Mathis, 33. Investigators say the case began with an argument hours earlier and escalated after Shelton returned with what authorities described as an accelerant. Mathis was found unconscious with catastrophic burns and was taken in critical condition.
Deputies say the argument started hours before the attack
According to the arrest affidavit, Shelton and Mathis argued earlier in the day before she allegedly threatened to leave and find someone else to beat him up. Authorities say she left after that dispute, then came back hours later.
When she returned, investigators say Shelton was carrying a bucket that held a plastic bag filled with an accelerant. Deputies have not publicly identified the substance, but they say the materials were part of the sequence that led to the fire. The affidavit describes the confrontation as deliberate rather than spontaneous.
Witness says Shelton asked to borrow a lighter
One of the most striking details in the case is the witness account that Shelton borrowed a lighter shortly before the fire was set. Investigators say she obtained the lighter from a witness, then used it during the attack.
Authorities allege Shelton doused Mathis with the accelerant and ignited it, setting him on fire. The sheriff’s office has not said whether the witness knew Shelton well or how the interaction unfolded before the attack. The borrowed lighter is now a key part of the alleged chain of events described in the affidavit.
Mathis suffered burns to at least 80 percent of his body
Police said Mathis was found unconscious after the attack and was in critical condition. Deputies reported that he suffered severe burns to at least 80 percent of his body, a level of injury they said left him unlikely to survive.
Law-enforcement officials said he was transported for emergency treatment after first responders found him. His condition was described as so severe that he is not expected to recover. Authorities did not release additional medical details beyond the extent of the burns and the critical nature of his injuries.
Arrest followed a witness description of the suspect
After the attack, deputies located a woman who matched the description provided by a witness. Police arrested Shelton following that identification, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
She has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and arson. Authorities have not said whether she has entered a plea. Jail records cited in the case indicate she is being held without bond in Miami-Dade County jail as the investigation continues.
What is known about the case now
The sheriff’s office has not released a public motive beyond the earlier argument described in the affidavit. Investigators also have not said what prompted Shelton to return or how long the conflict had been unfolding before the attack.
For now, the case centers on the witness account, the alleged use of an accelerant, and the severity of Mathis’s injuries. With a man fighting for his life and a suspect jailed without bond, the criminal case is likely to move forward through the local court system as detectives continue gathering evidence.
