Florida woman accused of setting stranger on fire at gas station, leaving horrific burns

A Florida woman pumping gas was engulfed in a fireball after a stranger allegedly walked up and deliberately ignited the fuel with a lighter in a seemingly random attack, police said.

The 41-year-old victim, identified in court records as Christine Sherbuk, was filling her Volvo SUV at a Mobil gas station in St.

Petersburg on Thursday night when Eleanor Crawford approached her, according to police and an arrest affidavit.

Crawford, 41, allegedly lit the gasoline at about 8 p.m., setting the SUV ablaze and leaving Sherbuk with second-degree burns to her arms and back.

GEORGIA MOTHER FIGHTS OFF ALLEGED CHILD SNATCHER WITH GAS PUMP IN SURVEILLANCE VIDEO She was rushed to the trauma center at Tampa General Hospital in serious condition.

Police said she was stabilized and is expected to survive.

Scotty Gramling told Fox 13 Tampa Bay he was parked nearby when the violence erupted and raced to help Sherbuk as flames swallowed her vehicle.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY THROWING MOLOTOV COCKTAIL AT PERSON IN WHEELCHAIR NEAR OKC POLICE HEADQUARTERS Gramling helped the injured woman into his truck and called 911.

He described what he witnessed as a "fireball." Moments earlier, Gramling said, he had called the police non-emergency line after seeing Crawford involved in some kind of altercation across the street.

It appeared someone was trying to pull her out of the roadway before a fight broke out, he told the outlet.

Officers were already heading to that disturbance when the gas station attack unfolded, according to the outlet.

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.

SUSPECT NAMED IN NEW YORK CITY ALLEGED INCENDIARY DEVICE ATTACK, HAD 'ANTI-ICE STUFF' ON HIM Crawford and Sherbuk did not know each other, investigators said.