A Fire Goddess and Cosmic Nymph is facing murder charges in California after allegedly setting her friend’s Honda Element on fire after an argument over Xanax as two people slept inside next to a propane tank.
Nicole Najlis, 30, describes herself as a ‘Fire Goddess’, with her Facebook page showing her performing fire dances at a variety of festivals, with a recent performance titled “Freakshow in the Abduction Zone.”
A report in the NY Post says Najlis was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and arson after a fire at the Pilot truck stop in Hesperia just after midnight on Tuesday. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department says they arrived to find two vehicles engulfed in flames and a witness directed them to Najlis, who was arrested nearby.
James Bahr, the owner of the burnt Honda, explained that this all began as an argument over Xanax. In comments reported by the Post, he says he knew Najlis through a friend and had been trying to help her through some hard times after she came out of an abusive relationship. They were driving through California, with two other friends asleep in the car.
“She kept harassing me for my Xanax”
Bahr says Najlis got drunk and demanded his prescription Xanax: “She kept harassing me for my Xanax, and I wouldn’t give it to her.” He says the argument turned violent: “She got so upset that she had punched me in the head while I was driving”, causing him to briefly lose control of the steering wheel and force him to pull into a gas station.
He reportedly kicked her out of the car and began removing her belongings. Then he realized something was wrong: “I smell gas and as soon as I said, ‘what is that smell?’ she threw a match and lit the car on fire.”
The car was engulfed in flames, but fortunately, the two sleeping friends were able to escape without injury. But the car was loaded with propane tanks and fire effects equipment, with the tanks exploding just 30 seconds after the fire had started.
No injuries were reported, but Bahr’s car and all his possessions and personal belongings were lost: “I got the car two weeks ago, so it was sentimental and we had just dropped like $2k on transporting it. This is just insane to me, I’m still shocked.” Bahr doesn’t have comprehensive insurance and estimates the damage at around $12,000.
Bahr was blunt when asked for his opinion of Najlis: “A danger to society.” She is being held on $1 million bail, with her next court appearance later today. The Post reports that she has a long rap sheet, including allegations of assault, disorderly conduct, and traffic offenses.
Published: Jun 18, 2026 05:27 am