Riverton police say a woman accused of dousing a man in a wheelchair with vodka and lighting him on fire claimed she acted in self-defense.
Ozshnee Gray, born in 1999, made her first court appearance Friday on a felony charge of aggravated assault after she reportedly became angry when the man in the wheelchair wouldn’t give her money to buy meth, says an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case by Riverton Police Department Lt. Amy Fyler and made available Monday.
Gray told police that she lit the man on fire because he and another man in a room at the Paintbrush Motel at 1550 N. Federal Blvd. “were yelling at her and ‘coming at her’ … (and) attempting to control her,” Fyler wrote.
“Gray stated she informed (the man) to stop approaching her or she will ‘do something,’” the affidavit says. “Gray stated she was acting in self-defense.
“It should be noted that (the man) is in a wheelchair and unable to walk.”
The man suffered burns to his face and hair, Fyler wrote.
‘Suspicious Circumstance'
The May 6 altercation was reported to Riverton police at about 5:38 p.m. as a “suspicious circumstance” at a local business, the affidavit says.
“While en-route, Riverton Dispatch Center informed (the officer) the complainant had stated she attempted to light a male on fire,” Fyler wrote. “Riverton Dispatch Center informed (the officer) the female had told them she had a needle on her person.”
The woman making the 911 call was identified as Gray, who told police she warned the man to stop approaching her or she would “do something,” according to the affidavit.
Gray told police it was self-defense when she grabbed a full bottle of vodka and poured it over the man's head.
“Gray then grabbed a lighter and lit (the victim) on fire,” Fyler wrote.
She Could Leave
While speaking with Gray, officers asked whether anyone had prevented her from leaving the motel. She reportedly said no and told police she could have left at any time, the affidavit says.
An officer asked Gray “if she was able to leave, then why didn’t she leave the room, and she stated something to the effect, ‘I should have but I’m not going to unless they tell me to leave,’” according to the affidavit.
When an officer asked why she lit the man on fire, Gray responded, “to tell him to back off and quit coming at me.”
She also told police she had not been “high in forever,” and admitted she was carrying a “point” on her. According to the affidavit, she voluntarily pulled a syringe from the pocket of her shorts.
“The needle had been used,” the affidavit states, though Gray claimed it was from several days before the alleged assault.
A substance in the syringe tested presumptively positive for meth, the document states.
Little Skulls
Gray told police the lighter she used to allegedly set the victim on fire was white and covered in little skulls, the affidavit says. Investigators later found a white lighter decorated with skulls inside the motel room where the alleged crime happened.
Police also interviewed the victim, who had visible burns to his face and hair.
He told officers Gray had been trying to get money for meth, but when he refused, she became angry, poured vodka on his head and lit him on fire.
Gray was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and battery, third-degree arson, and possession of methamphetamine. If convicted on all three charges, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
She made her first court appearance Friday and is being held in the Fremont County Detention Center on a $20,000 cash-only bond.
Fyler also wrote that Gray has two prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, which could subject her to an enhanced penalty if convicted again.
Gray is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Fremont County Circuit Court on May 18.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
