ST. PETERSBURG, FL – September 13, 2026 (STL.News) A Florida woman suffered serious burns after police say a complete stranger deliberately ignited gasoline while she was fueling her SUV at a St. Petersburg gas station, triggering a fire that engulfed the vehicle and resulted in attempted murder and arson charges.
The extraordinarily violent attack occurred at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Mobil gas station at 101 40th Avenue North in St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg police identified the accused attacker as 41-year-old Eleanor Crawford.
The victim, also 41, was identified in court records reviewed by Fox News as Christine Sherbuk. She was pumping gasoline into her Volvo SUV when Crawford allegedly approached her. Investigators say the two women had no prior relationship.
What allegedly happened next transformed an otherwise routine stop for gasoline into a potentially deadly attack.
Florida Suspect Allegedly Asked to Borrow Victim’s Phone
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, Crawford initially approached Sherbuk and asked whether she could use her cellphone.
Sherbuk reportedly agreed and allowed Crawford to use the phone.
After returning it, Crawford allegedly asked Sherbuk for money.
Sherbuk declined.
Police allege Crawford then produced a lighter and deliberately ignited gasoline at the pump nozzle while Sherbuk was fueling her vehicle.
The gasoline caught fire, and flames rapidly engulfed the Volvo SUV.
The victim suffered second-degree burns to her arms and back and was transported to Tampa General Hospital in serious condition. Police subsequently said she had been stabilized and was expected to survive.
Authorities have not announced a motive beyond the events leading up to the fire.
Police have emphasized that Crawford and Sherbuk apparently did not know one another before the encounter.
Second Vehicle Also Caught Fire
Additional reporting from Tampa Bay 28 revealed that the flames spread beyond Sherbuk’s SUV.
According to St. Petersburg Police Department spokesperson Ashley Limardo, the fire spread to a vehicle immediately behind the victim’s SUV.
Another person was reportedly pumping gasoline at that vehicle when the fire erupted but escaped without being injured.
That detail demonstrates the potentially catastrophic nature of igniting gasoline at an operating service station.
The fire could have injured additional customers or employees if the flames had spread differently.
Witness Had Already Called Police
Another significant element of the case is that police reportedly were already responding to a disturbance involving Crawford when the gas-station attack occurred.
Witness Scotty Gramling told FOX 13 Tampa Bay that he was parked nearby when the incident happened.
Shortly before the fire, Gramling said he had contacted the police non-emergency line because he had observed Crawford involved in some type of disturbance across the street.
According to Gramling, it appeared someone had tried to pull Crawford out of the roadway before the situation escalated into an altercation.
Police reportedly were already on their way to investigate that disturbance.
Then the gas station erupted in flames.
Gramling rushed toward the injured woman and helped her into his truck before calling 911. He described the scene to FOX 13 as a “fireball.”
Police Arrest Crawford Within About 20 Minutes
Crawford apparently did not get far.
St. Petersburg police officers located her several blocks from the gas station and arrested her within approximately 20 minutes of the attack.
Limardo told Tampa Bay 28 that officers allegedly found Crawford still possessing the lighter when they located her.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by Fox News, multiple witnesses allegedly saw Crawford ignite the gasoline, and the incident was captured on video.
Those allegations could become particularly significant evidence if the case proceeds to trial.
Crawford is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Attempted Murder and Arson Charges
Court and jail records cited in multiple reports indicate Crawford faces attempted felony murder and arson charges.
Some reports indicate she faces two arson counts.
Her total bond has been reported at $350,000. A judge also reportedly ordered the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to fit Crawford with a GPS monitor before any release from custody.
The investigation remains active, and prosecutors can amend charges as they review evidence.
Crawford Has Previous Arrest History
The attack also raises questions because Crawford reportedly has an extensive previous arrest history in Pinellas County.
IONTB reported that Pinellas County records indicate more than two dozen previous arrests dating to 2011.
Tampa Bay 28 independently reviewed Crawford’s Pinellas County criminal history and reported that her recent arrests included allegations involving battery on a law enforcement officer, cocaine possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
An additional report from the Tampa Free Press states that Crawford was arrested by Gulfport police on July 21, 2026, on allegations of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting without violence.
According to that report, Crawford was released on supervised recognizance on Aug. 27.
If those dates are accurate, the alleged gas-station attack occurred only about two weeks after that release.
Previous arrests or charges do not establish guilt in the current case, nor do they necessarily establish convictions in previous cases. Each proceeding must be evaluated separately.
Nevertheless, Crawford’s recent interaction with the criminal justice system could become an important part of the public discussion, particularly as additional court records become available.
Police Say Possible Intoxication Has Not Been Established
Police have not publicly established that drugs or alcohol played a role in Thursday night’s attack.
Assistant St. Petersburg Police Chief Mike Kovacsev acknowledged Crawford’s reported history when discussing how difficult it was to understand the alleged behavior.
Kovacsev said authorities did not know whether drugs or alcohol were involved and indicated investigators were still attempting to understand why such an apparently random attack occurred.
Police have therefore not established intoxication as a cause or motive, and it should not be reported as fact.
What investigators have established publicly is that the two women apparently had no previous relationship and that no clear motive had been identified as of the latest police statements.
Victim Expected to Survive
Despite the severity of the fire, police said Sherbuk is expected to survive.
Second-degree burns can cause substantial skin damage and potentially require prolonged medical treatment, depending on their depth and the percentage of the body affected.
Authorities have not publicly provided detailed information about the extent of Sherbuk’s long-term injuries or anticipated recovery.
Kovacsev credited the emergency response with stabilizing the victim following what he characterized as an unusually horrific incident.
The fact that no one else was seriously injured is also notable considering that the attack allegedly occurred beside active gasoline pumps and that flames spread to another vehicle.
An Apparently Random Encounter Turns Violent
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the St. Petersburg case is its apparent randomness.
Based on the information released so far, Sherbuk was not meeting Crawford and apparently had no dispute or previous interaction with her.
Instead, police say Crawford approached a stranger who was simply pumping gasoline.
The victim reportedly tried to help Crawford by letting her borrow her cellphone.
Only after Crawford allegedly asked for money and was refused did the encounter turn violent.
Within moments, according to investigators, the woman who had just allowed a stranger to use her telephone was engulfed in flames.
The case also shows how quickly an attack at a gasoline station can threaten people with nothing to do with the original confrontation. A second vehicle caught fire, another customer was reportedly fueling nearby, and gasoline pumps surrounded the scene.
Investigation Continues
St. Petersburg police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Authorities have not announced a definitive motive, and it remains unclear whether they could file additional charges.
The criminal case against Crawford will ultimately depend on the evidence presented in court, including witness accounts, surveillance or other video evidence, physical evidence recovered during the arrest and statements contained in police reports and arrest affidavits.
For now, Crawford faces extremely serious allegations arising from an encounter police say began between two complete strangers.
A 41-year-old Florida woman stopped at a gas station to fill her vehicle Thursday evening. According to investigators, she agreed to help another woman who asked to borrow her cellphone.
Minutes later, she was hospitalized with serious burns, her SUV was destroyed by flames, another vehicle had caught fire, and the stranger she had attempted to help was being pursued by police.
Officers found Crawford nearby.
She now faces attempted felony murder and arson charges while the victim begins recovering from an attack that police are still trying to explain.
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Editor’s note: Eleanor Crawford has been charged with crimes but has not been convicted in connection with this incident. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
