Florida Woman Charged With Attempted Murder After Setting Stranger on Fire at Gas Station
A 41-year-old woman was hospitalized with serious second-degree burns after a stranger allegedly walked up and ignited gasoline on her as she fueled her Volvo SUV at a St. Petersburg, Florida Mobil gas station at approximately 8 p.m. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Eleanor Crawford, was arrested blocks away and faces charges of attempted felony murder and arson.
The violent encounter unfolded at the fueling station located in St. Petersburg, according to police records. Christine Sherbuk, the victim, was standing outside her vehicle pumping fuel when Crawford approached her unprovoked. Court documents state that Crawford used a lighter to ignite the gasoline, instantly engulfing both the gas pump and the victim’s SUV in a destructive fireball.
Eyewitnesses at the scene moved quickly to intervene. Scotty Gramling told local outlets that he was parked nearby when the flash fire erupted. Gramling pulled the severely burned victim into his truck and contacted emergency services. Moments prior to the attack, Gramling had reached out to the police non-emergency line after observing Crawford involved in an altercation across the street, where an individual appeared to be attempting to pull her out of the roadway.
Responding officers apprehended Crawford roughly two blocks away from the gas station within twenty minutes of the incident. Multiple witnesses corroborated the sequence of events, and the entire attack was captured on surveillance video, according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators confirmed that Crawford and Sherbuk were complete strangers prior to the incident, and a definitive motive remains undetermined.
Medical Response and Victim Condition
Following the attack, emergency responders rushed Sherbuk to the trauma center at Tampa General Hospital. Assistant Police Chief Mike Kovacsev stated that the victim sustained severe second-degree burns to her arms and back. Medical personnel stabilized her condition, and she is expected to survive her injuries.
“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, noting the severity of the trauma inflicted during the sudden encounter.
Legal Proceedings and Suspect History
Eleanor Crawford is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail on a $350,000 bond while awaiting trial. Online court records show she has been formally charged with attempted felony murder and two counts of arson. A judge ordered that she be fitted with a GPS monitoring device by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office prior to any potential release.
Police noted that Crawford has a documented history involving drug- and alcohol-related offenses. Assistant Chief Kovacsev indicated that investigators are examining whether impaired capacity may have played a role in the attack, though official toxicology results have not been publicly detailed.
The investigation into the St. Petersburg gas station fire remains active. Authorities urge anyone with additional information regarding Crawford’s movements prior to the attack to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department.