Inset: Eleanor Crawford (St. Petersburg Police Department). Background: The St. Petersburg, Fla., gas station where Crawford allegedly lit a woman on fire (WTVT).
A woman suffered second-degree burns at a Florida gas station after a stranger walked up to her and doused her with gasoline before lighting her ablaze, cops say.
Eleanor Crawford, 41, is charged with attempted murder and arson of a vehicle.
The victim, also 41, was pumping gas into her Volvo SUV at a St. Petersburg gas station when Crawford allegedly walked up to her and "deliberately ignited gasoline," causing the woman and her car to catch fire, cops said in a press release.
Local Fox affiliate WTVT reported that Crawford asked the victim if she could use her phone, and the victim obliged. But when Crawford asked for money, the victim said no.
Crawford was apparently set off by the refusal and then allegedly pointed the fuel nozzle at the victim, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
"It's kind of a unique case because you don't see anything like this, especially something that results in such horrific burns. 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," St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Mike Kovacsev told the TV station.
WTVT spoke with a witness who described the scene as a fireball. He said he pulled the victim away from her SUV and smothered the flames on her body.
The fire department extinguished the SUV blaze.
Crawford has an extensive criminal history and was arrested less than two months ago for allegedly assaulting a police officer. She also has several drug and alcohol-related arrests, records show.
Kovacsev said mental health issues or substance abuse could be related to the gas station incident.
"I don't know if alcohol and drugs were involved, but indicative of her history, there might've been something that diminished capacity there," Kovacsev said. "Why would she even do something like this?"
The defendant is in the Pinellas County Jail on a $350,000 bond. Her next court date is not listed.