×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Doused with petrol, set alight by her ex

"I just thank God that I'm alive, because in looking at the picture, I probably shouldn't be here right now," 33-year-old single mother Naomie Breton

A Florida woman was doused with petrol and set on fire at a 7-Eleven in a horrific crime caught on tape.

Her ex-boyfriend, 59-year-old Roosevelt Mondesir, was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder.

The woman met Mondesir at the 7-Eleven, where they were supposed to exchange custody of their 4-year-old son. But the boy, who was in Mondesir's custody, was not there.

With a history of alleged violence between Roosevelt Mondesir and the woman, the woman started to leave, news reports said.

That's when Mondesir grabbed a petrol canister from his Jaguar and allegedly doused the woman with the liquid.

Surveillance video shows the petrol-soaked woman running inside the store and using her body to keep the door shut. But Mondesir, armed with a long knife, forced the door open. He allegedly set the woman on fire as she ran away.

The incident happened shortly before 3 a.m. on a Monday morning. Police found Mondesir hiding in nearby bushes about 5:45 a.m. They found the knife and gas container in his car.

Mondesir appeared in court the next day, and a judge denied bail. He also denied Mondesir's request for a public defender, because Mondesir's income was too high.

“All I saw was that I was on fire,” Breton said in a local news report.

“That’s when I was screaming and I was trying to pat myself to the point that the only way I saw to keep myself alive was to take off my shirt.”

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.