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Background: The apartment in Hollywood, Florida, where the incident occurred (WPLG/YouTube). Inset left: Kymesha Tarpley (Broward County Sheriff”s Office). Inset right: Rachel Price (GoFundMe).
A Florida woman faces serious charges after allegedly dousing her roommate with gasoline and setting her on fire following a dispute over a dog.
According to court documents from Broward County, Kymesha Tarpley, 48, is accused of second-degree attempted murder with a weapon, as well as first- and second-degree arson. The victim, identified as Rachel Price, claims she sustained severe burns on her face.
The incident, detailed in a probable cause affidavit, unfolded on March 15 around 10:15 p.m. when officers from the Hollywood Police Department responded to reports of a fire at an apartment complex. Hollywood is situated in southeastern Florida, approximately 20 miles from Miami.
Upon the officers’ arrival, Tarpley reportedly explained that she was home with her “roommate/ex-girlfriend” when a disagreement arose over her small dog, which had been bothering Price in the living room. The situation escalated into a heated argument.
During the confrontation, the pair struggled with a balcony door, causing a gasoline container to spill on the floor, according to Tarpley. She claimed that Price, who was smoking at the time, reacted by stepping back and accidentally dropped her cigarette, which ignited the gasoline and engulfed her in flames.
However, Price’s version of events is vastly different from the defendant’s.
“She tossed gasoline on me,” Price said, per the court document. A GoFundMe set up for her adds that “She was involved in a domestic situation where gasoline was thrown on her and she was set on fire.”
The victim told local independent outlet WPLG that she and Tarpley indeed had an argument, but that afterward, Tarpley left the home and came back with a gas canister. When Price questioned her, the defendant allegedly “tossed the gasoline on me that was in the gas can and threw the lighter on me and set me on fire and watched me burn.”
A fire marshal who lived below the pair reportedly heard Price’s screams, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and ran upstairs to help her.
The affidavit states that Price suffered burns to her face and neck, and she was brought to an area hospital and intubated. She said that, a month later, she’s still in pain every day and “I don’t feel like myself.”
Tarpley was arrested. What was originally an aggravated battery charge was upgraded to attempted murder after Price pressed charges.
The defendant has been arraigned and pleaded not guilty. A calendar call is scheduled in her case for June 18.