Shasta Lake son douses mother, 67, with lighter fluid, sets her ablaze during argument – Victim seriously injured
SHASTA LAKE, Calif., — Authorities say an argument between a Shasta Lake mother and son spiraled out of control when the son allegedly doused his mom with lighter fluid and set her ablaze yesterday morning, Friday, Feb. 4.
The suspect was quickly apprehended after the potentially deadly attack and the victim remains hospitalized with serious burns to her head, scalp, face, ears and neck. Although she was initially taken to a local hospital, officials said last night that she would likely be transported to UC Davis’ burn center for further treatment.
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City of Redding police and fire personnel were dispatched to a private residence in the 3300 block of Shasta Dam Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. after receiving reports of the violent attack, Shasta County Sheriff’s Sergeant Kody Bodner later reported.
When officials arrived, they found the suspect, 27-year-old Nicholas Michael Mangan, face down on the ground outside the home waiting to be arrested and promptly took him into custody without incident.
27-year-old Nicholas Mangan was arrested after allegedly dousing his mother with lighter fluid and setting her on fire during an argument at their Shasta Lake home yesterday morning. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photo
The victim, 67-year-old Debra Mangan, was found nearby with serious burn injuries to her head, scalp, face, ears and neck and she was rushed to an area hospital for treatment.
During their subsequent investigation, officers learned the mother and son had been involved in an “ongoing argument” throughout the morning of the attack, according to Bodner.
As the argument continued, Nicholas “began pouring lighter fluid onto Debra’s head and lit her on fire,” the Sergeant explained.
“Debra was able to escape Nicholas and successfully extinguished the fire to her body,” he continued; adding, “Debra then ran outside the residence and called 911.”
As the injured woman was outside the home with neighbors waiting for officers to arrive, Nicholas walked out of the residence with his hands up and laid on the street in front of the residence until deputies arrived and took him into custody.
After his arrest, Nicholas was transported to the Shasta County Jail in Redding where he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, mayhem, and arson causing great bodily injury.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail or bond.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has asked that anyone with further information regarding this incident to call SHASCOM at (530) 245-6540. Callers can refer o incident file number 22S003590 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
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