MIAMI, FL — A Miami-Dade woman is facing attempted murder and arson charges after deputies say she set a man on fire following an argument on Saturday. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said 45-year-old Tanisha Shelton returned to an apartment complex with an accelerant, doused 33-year-old Nathaniel Devon Mathis, and then ignited him.
Deputies and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics responded to the complex at 2450 NW 63rd St. shortly after 6 p.m. and found Mathis badly burned and unconscious. He was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in extremely critical condition.
Detectives said Mathis suffered burns to more than 80 percent of his body and was not expected to survive.
Witnesses said the dispute escalated before the attack
According to investigators, people at the scene said Mathis and Shelton had been arguing earlier in the day. Shelton allegedly told him she would come back with someone to beat him, according to her arrest report.
Several hours later, deputies say she returned carrying a white bucket with a plastic bag inside that held an unknown accelerant. The report says she poured the liquid on Mathis and asked someone for a lighter.
That person handed over the lighter, and Shelton used it to start the fire, investigators said. The violent sequence turned what began as an argument into a life-threatening burn attack that drew an urgent response from first responders.
Deputies say a witness tried to stop her from leaving
Authorities said one witness sprayed Shelton with pepper spray in an attempt to keep her from getting away. Other witnesses described her as wearing a brown dress and purple sneakers, details that later helped deputies identify her.
The sheriff’s office said deputies found Shelton walking in the 2500 block of NW 56th Street around 3:30 a.m. Sunday and arrested her there. Investigators linked her to the attack through witness statements and the description given at the scene.
The arrest came hours after the fire, as detectives and deputies continued piecing together what happened at the apartment complex and tracking the woman they say carried out the attack.
The victim was taken to Ryder Trauma Center in extremely critical condition
Mathis was transported to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital after paramedics found him unconscious and severely burned. Detectives described his condition as extremely critical, reflecting the severity of the injuries he suffered in the attack.
The sheriff’s office said he had burns to more than 80 percent of his body. That level of injury is considered catastrophic and often requires intensive treatment, though officials did not provide additional medical details beyond his transfer to the trauma center.
As of Monday morning, his condition had not been immediately updated. Investigators also said he was not expected to survive, underscoring how grave the situation remained in the hours after the fire.
Shelton was booked on attempted murder and arson charges
After her arrest, Shelton was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on charges of first-degree attempted murder and arson causing great bodily harm. Those charges reflect both the alleged intent behind the attack and the severe injuries prosecutors say resulted from it.
A judge ordered Shelton held until trial on Monday. Court action at that stage means she will remain in custody while the case moves forward through the criminal justice system.
Authorities have not publicly said what prompted the argument or whether anyone else may face charges. For now, the case centers on the alleged return to the apartment complex, the use of an accelerant, and the fire that left Mathis fighting for his life.
How investigators say the attack unfolded over several hours
The sheriff’s office account suggests the confrontation developed in stages rather than in a single moment. Witnesses told deputies the pair argued earlier in the day, then Shelton allegedly returned later with items used in the attack.
Investigators say she approached Mathis with the bucket, used liquid from the container, and then asked for a lighter. The sequence described by deputies points to a deliberate and coordinated act that escalated far beyond a domestic dispute.
The fire rescue response, the trauma-center transfer, and the swift arrest all took place within hours of the incident. Even so, the case remained active as detectives continued working through witness statements and the arrest report that laid out the allegations.
