Woman set on fire at Boynton Beach gas station

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - WARNING, SURVEILLANCE VIDEO BELOW IS GRAPHIC

Boynton Beach Police have arrested a man accused of dousing a woman with gasoline and setting her on fire.

It happened around three Monday morning at the 7-Eleven gas station and store at Hypoluxo Road and Lawrence Road.

Police say Roosevelt Mondesir, 52, poured gas on the 34-year-old victim.

According to a police report, the woman and Mondesir share custody with a 4-year-old boy, but do not live together.

She told police she arrived in her Mercedes Benz to talk with Mondesir about a time-sharing exchange.

He pulled up alone in a white Jaguar. When she saw her son wasn't in the car, she said she decided to get back in her car and leave but he charged after her with a gas can and began throwing fuel on her and her car.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the woman said Mondesir then set her on fire and she became engulfed in flames. As she tried to take off her shirt and put out the fire, the woman said Mondesir then began chasing her with a long knife, possibly a machete.

She took refuge in the store where employees called police for help.

When police arrived the shirt was still in flames. The woman was rushed to a hospital with severe burns to her face and body.

There is surveillance video of the attack which was released Monday afternoon.

The event closed down the gas station for two hours as police combed the area for clues.

A gas can, fire extinguisher and clothes were scattered across the front of the station.
 
Investigators used a police helicopter and K-9 unit to look for their suspect.

Around 5:30, officers found Mondesir hiding near the store in some bushes. They initially said he was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail. They later amended that to say he was being treated for burns at Bethesda Hospital.

He faces a charge of attempted first degree murder.

Neighbors say the couple lived less than a mile from the gas station up until recently. One neighbor says they couple often fought, although others describe them both as "nice people".