A woman fueling her vehicle at a Florida gas station was caught in a fireball after a stranger allegedly used a lighter to ignite the gasoline in what police described as an apparently random attack.
The victim, 41-year-old Christine Sherbuk, was pumping gas into her Volvo SUV at a Mobil station in St. Petersburg on Thursday night when Eleanor Crawford approached her, according to police and a court arrest affidavit.
Crawford, also 41, is accused of setting the fuel on fire at about 8 p.m. The flames engulfed the SUV and left Sherbuk with second-degree burns on her arms and back.
Police said Eleanor Crawford allegedly set gasoline alight as a woman fueled her SUV at a Mobil station in St. Petersburg, leaving the victim with serious burns. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
Sherbuk was taken to the trauma center at Tampa General Hospital in serious condition. Authorities said she was stabilized and is expected to survive.
Scotty Gramling told Fox 13 Tampa Bay that he was parked nearby when the attack occurred. He rushed to Sherbuk’s aid as flames consumed her vehicle.
A woman suffered second-degree burns after a stranger allegedly ignited gasoline while she was fueling her SUV at this Mobil gas station in St. Petersburg, police said. (Fox 13 Tampa Bay)
Gramling helped the injured woman into his truck and called 911. He described the scene as a “fireball.”
Shortly before the gas station fire, Gramling said he called the police non-emergency line after spotting Crawford in an apparent altercation across the street. He told the outlet that someone appeared to be trying to pull her out of the road before a fight began.
Police officers were already responding to that disturbance when the alleged attack at the St. Petersburg gas station took place, according to the outlet.
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Police caught Crawford a couple of blocks away within about 20 minutes. The arrest affidavit says multiple witnesses saw her ignite the gasoline and that the incident was captured on video.
St. Petersburg police arrested Eleanor Crawford shortly after a woman was seriously burned in an alleged gas station arson attack. (St. Petersburg Police Department)
Crawford and Sherbuk did not know each other, investigators said. Authorities have not identified a motive.
“I don’t know if alcohol and drugs were involved, but indicative of her history, there might’ve been something that diminished capacity there,” Assistant Police Chief Mike Kovacsev told Fox 13. “Why would she even do something like this?”
Police said Crawford has an extensive record that includes several drug- and alcohol-related charges. Authorities have not said whether she was under the influence at the time of the alleged attack.
“It’s kind of a unique case because you don’t see anything like this, especially something that results in such horrific burns,” Kovacsev said. “But they went out there, they worked with the fire department, and luckily they were able to get her stabilized, and she’s going to make it.”
Police units respond to the scene of an emergency. (Getty Images)
Crawford has been charged with attempted felony murder and two counts of arson. She is being held on $350,000 bond while awaiting trial.
A judge ordered her to be fitted with a GPS monitor by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office before her release from jail, court records show.
The case remains under investigation.