A Tennessee man has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and arson after he allegedly lit his grandmother on fire.
An arrest report says that a witness restrained Christopher Medula, 39, until deputies arrived on the scene, WRCB reported.
The victim was flown to a hospital in Nashville with burns on 70 percent of her body.
The incident took place on Tuesday in Soddy-Daisy, the outlet said. Medula is accused of dousing the woman in gasoline and using a lighter to ignite it before trying to flee. The witness kept Medula on the scene at gunpoint.
According to WZTV, Medula told the witness he “had to do it” because his grandmother is “the devil.”
Deputies said the grandmother was still conscious when they arrived, with severe burns and gasping for breath.
“Chris did it,” she told them. “He poured gas on me. He’s lost it.”
The report said the witness saw Medula trying to hold the door to the camper shut while the woman desperatedly tried to get out. When deputies arrived, they found her lying on the ground outside.
The grandmother is in critical condition in Nashville’s Tristar Skyline Medical Center. She has been removed from life support, the station said.
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[Featured image: Christopher Medula/Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office]
