A woman in Florida suffered second-degree burns after a stranger allegedly lit the gasoline she was using to load fuel in her vehicle, causing a fire that wrapped the car and the victim.
Christine Sherbuk, 41, was around 8:00 p.m. by m. On Thursday, at the station of St. Petersburg when Eleanor Crawford, also 41, approached and allegedly set fire to fuel, according to police and court documents.
The fires hit the Volvo truck from Sherbuk and caused burns in his arms and back.
The woman was transferred to the trauma center of Tampa General Hospital in severe condition and was later stabilized and is expected to survive.
Scotty Gramling was parked near the gas station when he saw how the fire began.
The man told Fox 13 Tampa Bay that he ran to help Sherbuk as the flames surrounded the vehicle.
Gramling managed to get the woman into his truck and called 911 and described what he witnessed as a “fireball.”
Shortly before the attack, the witness had contacted the police line for non-emergency situations after observing Crawford involved in a riot on the other side of the street.
According to Gramling, it seemed like another person was trying to get her out of the way when a fight began.
Officers were already heading towards that incident when the attack occurred at the gas station, according to the local media.
Crawford was localized and arrested approximately 20 minutes later, a few blocks from the station.
According to the arrest report, several witnesses said they had seen the woman light up the gasoline.
The researchers determined that Crawford and Sherbuk did not know each other.
So far, authorities have not established a motive for the attack, which they described as a seemingly random fact.
St. Petersburg police chief assistant Mike Kovacsev told Fox 13 that investigators don't know whether alcohol or drugs may have influenced Crawford's behavior.
Crawford faces charges of attempted murder and two charges of caused fire.
He remains in custody with a bail of $350,000 while awaiting the advance of the trial.
A judge also ordered that, in case she is released, she be monitored using a GPS device supervised by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Police said Crawford has a background that includes several drug and alcohol-related charges. However, authorities have not confirmed that he was under the effects of any substance when the attack occurred.
Kovacsev noted that this is an unusual case due to the severity of the burns suffered by the victim.
The investigation continues as detectives review evidence and the circumstances that preceded the attack.
