Neighbor: Woman Attempts To Set Fire To Her Van — Twice

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A South LA woman is on edge after, she says, a neighbor attempted to set fire to her van twice while it was sitting in front of her home.

Felicia McDaniel said she was inside her house Monday night when she noticed her neighbor creeping up to the vehicle.

Security camera footage shows the woman doused the wheel well and then sparked a lighter before fleeing.

"I see her at my van, and I'm scrambling to get my shoes on and run outside and start yelling," McDaniel said.

McDaniel said she used to be friends with the woman, but they have recently had a falling out.

McDaniel called over a friend, Ted Jackson, to help keep her and her two kids safe.

The neighbor returned later, trying to set fire to the van a second time, McDaniel said.

Shortly before 5 a.m., Jackson ran outside to put out more flames.

"I was literally hitting at it with my bare hand," Jackson said. "She says I'm Superman. Sometimes, you just have to jump in and do it."

The van did not sustain any major damage. But McDaniel worries about what would have happened if the flames had hit the fuel line.

McDaniel says she thinks it was an act of revenge for calls she made to the landlord about loud noise and other issues.

Monday night was just the latest flareup in their feud. Last week, police came to the neighborhood and took McDaniel into custody, before releasing her.

McDaniel is now worried her neighbor could ask area gang members to retaliate.

"I've been home trying to be vigilant over my home and my family because I don't know who she might know at their schools," McDaniel said.

McDaniel said her neighbor was not seen in the area on Tuesday. She's hoping authorities are able to catch the woman before anybody gets hurt.