2 charged after woman set on fire, left for dead on reservation

BILLINGS, Mont. - Two people were charged in federal court Wednesday in the vicious April assault of a woman who was beaten, strangled and set on fire on Montana's Crow Indian Reservation.

Dimarzio Sanchez and Angelica Jo Whiteman appeared separately in U.S. District Court in Billings before Magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby on charges of assault with intent to commit murder and aiding and abetting.

They did not enter pleas and were ordered back into custody pending further proceedings.

Whiteman's defense attorney, Clifford Vernon, said following Wednesday's court appearance that it was too early in the process for him to make a statement about the case.

Sanchez's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment

The victim, who survived, has been identified by family members as Roylynn Rides Horse, 28, according to the Missoulian.

The victim's sister Cleone Shawl, told CBS affiliate KPAX that the woman is being treated for her burns at a hospital and will have a long road to recovery.

"It will take a while, but she will get better," Shawl said.

Rides Horse has six children, according to Shawl.

FBI Special Agent Aaron Christensen said in a court affidavit that the victim was at the Kirby Saloon in Kirby late on April 17 and got a ride home with the defendants.

Following an argument, Christensen says the two defendants beat and attempted to strangle Rides Horse, then doused her with gasoline and set her on fire in a field east of Crow Agency.

Rides Horse remained in the field for 14 hours before she was discovered. She suffered burns over 45 percent of her body and frostbite on her legs, according to court documents.

Four other people who were not named in the affidavit were in the vehicle with Rides Horse and the suspects when the attack happened, according to Christensen. Three of those people provided law enforcement with information about what happened, the FBI agent stated.

Sanchez is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, according to the affidavit. Whiteman is a member of the Crow Tribe.

FBI spokeswoman Sandra Barker said the agency was not releasing further details on the circumstances surrounding the suspects' arrests.