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SARATOGA SPRINGS — A man who police say attempted to carjack a 69-year-old woman's vehicle got more than he bargained for Saturday.
Christopher Bigler, 38, remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday at University Hospital after police say he suffered burns, smoke inhalation and several punches to the face in the bizarre series of events.
Bigler's alleged crime spree started about 9:15 p.m. Saturday near 1140 N. Redwood Road at the Riverbend Townhomes. Frances Mach had just pulled into the driveway of her daughter's home when a man opened the door of her car and got into the passenger seat.
"This guy jumped into my car and told me I was to take him somewhere. He didn't specify. He just said, 'Take me out of here. Go.' And he started to reach for the steering wheel. And when he did, his one hand was on the steering wheel and he smacked me with the other and he said, 'Go.'" she said.
But the feisty Mach said she wasn't about to back down.
"I just rolled up my fist and I nailed his head about three or four times and told him to get out of my car. And he did. He kind of fell out," she said.
Mach said she knew she wasn't going to stop until he was out, and kept telling herself, "'I'm not going to be taken anywhere.' I've got a built-in mechanism to save me. I just wasn't going to let him take me.
"He couldn't believe it. I could tell you that. Because I fought back," she said of the surprised would-be carjacker.
Saratoga Springs spokesman Owen Jackson said after Bigler got out of the car, the man ran to the back of the townhouse, broke through a basement window and went inside.
I just rolled up my fist and I nailed his head about three or four times and told him to get out of my car. And he did. He kind of fell out.
–Frances Mach, Saratoga Springs resident
Mach said she could hear "crashing and banging" inside the home and called police. The front doors were locked when officers arrived.
While police were waiting for a key to open the door, Jackson said a fire was started in the upstairs master bedroom. He said Sunday he did not know how the fire was started or what was used to fuel it, but officials said the fire grew quickly. Jackson said the motive for starting the fire was also unknown Sunday.
At that point, the two officers kicked in the front door — one with a fire extinguisher and the other following as cover. But the heat and smoke by that point were too much for the officers to get upstairs, Jackson said.
When firefighters arrived, they found Bigler on a second floor patio. They used a ladder to get him down, Jackson said. Bigler was eventually flown to University Hospital in critical condition. The two officers were treated at a local hospital for minor smoke inhalation and as a precaution for blood exposure due to the cuts Bigler suffered when he broke through the window, according to Jackson.
Brian Patterson, Mach's son-in-law, said no one in the family recognized Bigler. He said the family has been told they will not be allowed back into the house until at least Monday.
Jackson did not have an estimate Sunday on how much damage was caused by the fire. He said other nearby homes also suffered some heat and smoke damage.
Christopher Bigler, 38, was hospitalized in critical condition Sunday at University Hospital after police say he suffered burns, smoke inhalation and several punches to the face in the bizarre series of events. (Brandon Whitworth/KSL-TV)
As for his mother-in-law fighting back, Patterson said he wasn't surprised.
"She's a tough woman," he said. "She's very strong headed. I swear if she had a broken leg she'd still walk around and say everything is fine."
Mach, who was joking with others shortly after the incident, said she had "sore arms and a sore neck from the swinging I did," but added, "I'll live to see tomorrow and the next day, and that's what it's all about."
Bigler was not officially under arrest as of Sunday, but Jackson said once doctors determine he is stable, he will be placed under arrest and booked into the Utah County Jail.
Utah state court records show Bigler has an extensive criminal history. Most recently, he was convicted of theft, a third-degree felony that was amended to a class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a year in jail in 2014.
He was also convicted of felony shoplifting in 2014 in a separate case and ordered to serve jail time concurrently with his other sentence.
In 2013 he was convicted of felony DUI and placed on probation. He violated his probation, however, and in 2014 was ordered to serve jail time concurrent with the other sentences.
Bigler's criminal history dates back to at least 1996, according to state court records.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Mach's family cover the cost of repairing the damage to her home. For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/Mclainhousefire.*
Contributing: Morgan Jacobsen, Sandra Yi
*KSL.com does not assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
