Maplewood Woman Charged For Lighting Woman On Fire
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Maplewood woman has been charged for dousing another woman with gasoline on Monday and lighting her on fire.
Laurel Lee Sykes, 32, has been charged with one count of assault in the first degree.
According to the criminal complaint, around 12:30 p.m. St. Paul police responded to a call of woman suffering from severe burns after having gasoline poured on her on the 700 block of Conway Street.
Upon arrival, police found a 28-year-old woman with burns on her upper torso, arms and legs.
Police said a witness told them the victim and Sykes had been arguing all afternoon over a man they were both seeing. Sykes left briefly and returned with a gas can. The witness said Sykes poured gas from the can into a plastic cup, lit the cup on fire and threw it at the victim who became engulfed in flames.
A second witness also told police that the victim and Sykes had been arguing over the man they were both seeing. The witness also said Sykes had left and returned with a gas can.
Police said this witness saw Sykes attempting to pour the gas into a vase and asked Sykes what she was doing. Sykes mumbled an answer, and the witness then walked into a different room. While in the other room, the witness saw flames from where Sykes and the victim were.
Further investigation revealed a gas can, vase and plastic cup on the scene. The gas can had some gasoline left in it, and the cup and vase both smelled like gas.
According to the criminal complaint, officers later located Sykes outside on the 600 block of Wilson Street.
Officers approached Sykes and told them she was under arrest for assault. Sykes yelled and said they were lying.
Police said once Sykes was handcuffed and in the squad car she told them she had been at a friend's house when she began to argue on and off with another woman. She did not know the woman's name.
Sykes said the victim grabbed a half-smoked cigarette out of her hand while they were arguing, so Sykes pushed her. The victim then fell to the ground, knocked over a gas can and caused a spill. Sykes said she believed the gas from the spill caused the fire.
Police said Sykes claimed she tried to help put out the flames, but people were yelling at her so she left.
The victim was taken to Regions Hospital burn unit. She was being treated for burns on her face, upper chest, both arms, both hands and inner right leg. The burns are thought to be second or third-degree but non-life threatening.
Officers were unable to talk to the victim as she is incubated and under sedation.
If found guilty, Sykes faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $30,000 fine or both.
