An Oregon woman has been charged with attempted murder after authorities say she set a vehicle ablaze while two friends slept inside following a dispute during a road trip in Southern California.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found two vehicles fully engulfed in flames, and witnesses directed them to a woman, later identified as Nicole Najlis, 30.
One of the victims, who owned one of the burned vehicles, told deputies that Najlis intentionally set his vehicle on fire after they had a dispute while traveling from San Diego to Las Vegas.
"Najlis poured fuel from a can into the trunk area of the car, then ignited the fuel by an unknown means," officials said. "Two other friends were asleep in the vehicle at the time the fire was ignited. The two were able to exit the vehicle after the flames woke them up."
One witness, Molly Dominguez, managed to record the incident on her cell phone. She told the station she initially thought there were fireworks inside the vehicle.
"It kept exploding," she said. "And at one point you can see something just shoot out from the car, and it started a separate little third fire over on the side."
In the footage, a dark-colored SUV can be seen completely consumed by fire, before flames later spread to a white car parked beside it.
Najlis was taken into custody and booked into the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on charges of arson and attempted murder. A legal representative could not immediately be reached for comment.
No injuries were reported following the car fires. Authorities have not released the names of the three victims or any additional information about what led up to the dispute.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Hesperia Station Deputy Van Brimmer directly at (760) 947-1500. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling or texting "REPORT" to We-Tip at (844) 909-3006.