Road trips can be fun, but not when someone in the vehicle is accused of turning a roadside stop into an attempted murder case.
That is what investigators say happened during a trip from San Diego to Las Vegas involving James Bahr, the owner of a Honda Element that was destroyed by fire at a truck stop in Hesperia, California.
Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the Pilot truck stop shortly after midnight on June 16 and found two vehicles fully engulfed in flames, KTLA reported. Investigators said two people had been sleeping inside one of the vehicles when the fire began.
Nicole Incero Najlis, 30, now faces attempted murder and arson charges. San Bernardino County inmate records reviewed by Guessing Headlights show Najlis was arrested at 12:52 a.m. on June 16 at 8701 U.S. 395 Highway in Hesperia and is currently being held at West Valley Jail. The current inmate record lists her as ineligible for bail.
Road Trip Turns Into a Disaster After Alleged Xanax Dispute
Bahr told the New York Post that he, two friends, and Najlis were returning to Las Vegas from the San Diego area when the trip took a disastrous turn. Bahr said he knew Najlis through a friend and had been trying to help her through difficult circumstances.
Bahr said Najlis had been staying with a friend after becoming homeless while leaving an abusive relationship. He let her join the group on the trip to a music festival.
“The trip was supposed to be to go to a music festival up in the hills of San Diego,” Bahr told the outlet.
Notably, Bahr is a professional pyrotechnician with a flame-effect certification from the State of Nevada and an explosives certification from the ATF. As a result, propane tanks and other fire-effects equipment were reportedly inside the Honda Element at the time of the fire.
On the way back from the music festival, Bahr said the group stopped in Tijuana for lunch, but Najlis went to a friend’s house to drink. Later, he said, an argument broke out between the two over Xanax.
Bahr alleged that Najlis wanted his prescription Xanax, but he would not give it to her. “She kept harassing me for my Xanax, and I wouldn’t give it to her,” Bahr said.
Things then took an ugly turn when the argument allegedly became physical. Bahr said Najlis punched him while he was driving. “She got so upset that she had punched me in the head while I was driving,” he said.
Bahr said the hit caused him to lose control of the steering wheel, so he eventually pulled into a gas station. He told Najlis to get out of the Honda because of her behavior, but said she refused. He then started removing her belongings from the vehicle.
That is when Bahr said he smelled fuel. “She started to move around some of my stuff. 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 told the Post.
SFGATE, citing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, reported that investigators believe Najlis poured fuel into the Honda’s trunk and ignited it by an unknown means. The two people who had been asleep inside woke up and escaped.
Najlis Described as a “Danger to Society”
While no injuries were reported, Bahr lost a Honda Element he said he had just purchased, along with personal belongings and work equipment. Bahr estimated his total losses at roughly $12,000, a figure that included equipment and other items that were inside the vehicle.
Bahr said he had only owned the Honda Element for about two weeks and had recently spent roughly $2,000 transporting it. “This is just insane to me, I’m still shocked,” he said.
Bahr has now launched a fundraiser to help him rebuild everything. He wrote: “My vehicle was completely destroyed. Along with it, I lost my power equipment, clothes, tools, and personal belongings.
“Now, I have no vehicle, no equipment, and no real way to replace what I lost on my own. I am asking my community for help during this extremely difficult time.” Bahr later described the incident as a “terrifying and life-changing” event and called Najlis a “danger to society.”
Authorities have not released a full motive, and the Xanax-related dispute comes from Bahr’s account of the incident. Najlis should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.