A Polk County man was arrested Wednesday after authorities say he tried to set his mom on fire.
Matthew Paul Kelly, 33, is facing charges of battery and domestic violence.
Authorities said Kelly, 33, covered his mother, Patricia Cline, with gas in her car and told her he was going to kill her before she managed to escape.
Officials said Kelly, who had run out of gas and was being driven back to his car by Cline, began acting agitated to the point of being enraged over the situation.
Cline became so concerned she attempted to take her son to Lake Wales Hospital to be evaluated, officials said. Their argument escalated and Cline stopped the car.
Police said Cline told her son she thought he needed help, which is when Kelly is accused of grabbing the can of gasoline and splashing the gas on her.
Kelly then told his mother that he was "going to jail anyway" and was going to "kill them both," police said.
Kelly allegedly got out of the car and reached for what his mother thought was a lighter, but she got away by driving off. She was not injured.
Kelly left the scene and authorities began a search for him a short time later. He was taken into custody about two hours later.
Later, when he was arrested, Kelly said, "I love her...and I wasn't trying to hurt her."
He has previous arrests on drug offenses, driving under the influence, battery and resisting arrest.