Florida Man Sets Woman On Fire, Captured On Video
"He has a knife. He set me on fire," the woman told a 911 dispatcher.
June 12, 2012— -- A Florida man who was seen setting fire to the mother of his child on a 7-Eleven surveillance video was denied bail today.
Roosevelt Mondesir, 52, is charged with attempted first-degree murder. The harrowing moments of what was supposed to be a simple custody exchange of the couple's 4-year-old son were captured Monday on the security camera at the Boynton Beach gas station.
Watch the video at ABC News' Miami affiliate
The woman, who police are not identifying, was seen pulling into the 7-Eleven in her silver Mercedes. Police would not say what the was relationship between the couple.
Mondesir then pulled into the station in his white Jaguar, without their child. When the woman realized her son was not in the car, she tried to leave.
Mondesir then threw "gasoline on her vehicle and her body," according to police.
"The victim began to run from the defendent, but was chased down at which point the defendant threw fire onto the victim and she became engulfed in flames," the charging document stated.
The woman, 34, began to put the fire out and remove her shirt when she realized Mindesir had a long knife, possibly a machete, she told police.
The victim ran from her attacker and took refuge inside the convenience store. The two engaged in a tug-of war with the door while 7-Eleven staff called police.
"This is 7-Eleven. We have a problem. We have some fight and fire," the female employee said.
The victim can be heard crying and yelling in the background, "It hurts. It hurts. It hurts."
She then got on the line and pleaded with the dispatcher for help.
"I just called, and I had to hang up. He set me on fire, OK?" the victim said. "Hurry up, please, please, please. It burns."
The victim said she needed paramedics.
"He's still outside. He has a knife. He set me on fire. Hurry up. Hurry up, please. It hurts," she said.
Mondesair fled on foot and was later apprehended hiding in nearby bushes. After being treated for minor burns, he was booked into Palm Beach County Jail.
The victim was taken to Delray Medical center where she was listed in fair condition.
It was the second case of a person being set on fire this week.
Gina Virgilio, 25, of Anchorage, was arraigned Monday in the death of her live-in boyfriend and is being held on $1 million bail.
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