The family of the woman who was severely attacked is searching for an Alabama pair who rescued her from a house blaze on Monday.
Tessa Trotter is recuperating at Vanderbilt University Medical Center following an alleged stabbing by her husband, as reported by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Zachary Mowel, aged 28, is accused not only of stabbing her but also of dousing her with gasoline and igniting their residence.
Emergency responders were summoned to the 1200 block of North Charlotte Street in Dickson in response to a house fire. Tessa recounted to her mother, Tina Trotter, the events of Monday night from her hospital bed, where she lay nearly unrecognizable due to her injuries.
“The boys, my grandsons, were right there when he grabbed her arm and stabbed her,” Tina recounted. “She told Jackson, her eldest, to call 911, but he wouldn’t let him do it.”
Tessa informed her mother that Mowel reportedly took their children and placed them in his truck. It was then, according to the TBI, that he set fire to their home.
“He promised me he would never do that, and then to do this in front of the boys,” Tina lamented. “I can’t wrap my head around it.”
Tessa is recovering at VUMC, but she is now paralyzed from the waist down and has suffered severe third-degree burns. Tina attributes her daughter’s survival to two factors: Tessa’s resilience and the swift actions of two passersby. She mentioned that a pair from Alabama, who were in the area for a Facebook Marketplace transaction, noticed the smoke, rushed in, and extinguished the flames engulfing Tessa.
“God bless you, and once my family finds out who you are, I will reach out to you,” Tina expressed gratefully. “Our family is incredibly thankful because without you, I wouldn’t have her today.”
Mowel reportedly returned to the scene and was arrested by law enforcement while firefighters battled the blaze. He faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, and domestic assault, and is held at Dickson County Jail on a $765,000 bond.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help offset hospital costs for Tessa.