Police say Eleanor Crawford was arrested near the St. Petersburg station after a 41-year-old woman suffered serious second-degree burns.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 41-year-old Florida woman faces attempted murder and arson allegations after police said she deliberately ignited gasoline near a stranger who was fueling her SUV at a St. Petersburg gas station, leaving the victim hospitalized with serious burns.
Police identified the suspect as Eleanor Crawford, 41. The incident happened at about 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at a Mobil station on 40th Avenue North. Investigators said Crawford and the victim were strangers and that authorities have not established a motive. Officers arrested Crawford a few blocks from the station shortly after the fire.
According to St. Petersburg police, the victim, also 41, was pumping gasoline into a Volvo SUV when Crawford approached her. Police said Crawford first asked to use the woman’s phone, and the woman allowed her to do so. Crawford then asked the woman for money, investigators said. After the request was refused, police allege Crawford intentionally ignited the gasoline. The fire spread to the vehicle and gas pump.
The victim suffered second-degree burns and was taken to Tampa General Hospital for treatment. Police described her injuries as serious, but officials said she was stabilized and expected to survive. Authorities have not released further details about her recovery. Her name is being withheld here because she is a private victim and identifying her is not necessary to explain the case.
A man who was nearby when the fire started rushed to help the injured woman and called 911, according to local television reporting. The witness told FOX 13 Tampa Bay that he had contacted the police non-emergency line shortly before the incident after seeing Crawford involved in a disturbance across the street. Officers were responding in the area when the gas station fire occurred, the station reported.
Police located Crawford several blocks away and took her into custody. Court and jail records cited by local and national news organizations list attempted felony murder and arson allegations against her. Some reports describe multiple arson counts, while early police-based reports referred more generally to arson and attempted murder. Crawford was being held on a combined bond of $350,000, according to the latest available reporting.
The charges are accusations and do not establish guilt. Prosecutors would have to prove the allegations through the court process. Public reporting did not make clear whether Crawford had retained an attorney who could comment on her behalf. Authorities also have not announced evidence showing that Crawford knew the victim before the encounter.
The absence of a known relationship has become a central part of the investigation. St. Petersburg police said the women did not know each other, and investigators had not announced a motive as of Monday. Officials also had not said that the victim was targeted because of any prior dispute or personal connection. Police have continued to describe the incident as an active investigation.
Assistant Police Chief Mike Kovacsev told local media that investigators were still trying to understand why the incident occurred. Authorities have not determined publicly whether drugs, alcohol or any other factor played a role. Police have therefore stopped short of assigning a motive, and no such explanation has been established in court.
The case drew wider attention after local reports of the attack were distributed nationally over the weekend. Police accounts consistently identify the Sept. 10 encounter, the serious burn injuries, Crawford’s arrest near the scene and the lack of any known prior relationship between the two women as the central confirmed facts. Details beyond those findings remain subject to the continuing criminal investigation and court proceedings.
As of Sept. 14, the victim was expected to survive, while Crawford remained accused of attempted felony murder and arson in connection with the gas station fire. Police had not announced a motive or a final investigative finding, and the criminal allegations against Crawford had not been adjudicated.
Author note: Last updated September 14, 2026.