TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office upgraded charges against a man accused of lighting another man on fire last month at a Tampa gas station to murder.
Deputies say the victim, a man in his 60s, died from his injuries sustained in the attack.
Earl Hargrove Jr., 34, was already under arrest for the attack and is now facing additional charges of pre-meditated first-degree murder and aggravated battery with great bodily harm.
He remains in the custody of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office since the original incident.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in this case,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim during this difficult time."
This investigation is ongoing at this time.
At 4:32 p.m. on Sunday, May 28, Hargrove and the other man reportedly into a fight at the Mobil Gas Station on Bearss Avenue and 22nd Street in Tampa.
The altercation escalated, and Hargrove bought a small amount of gasoline from the gas station, the sheriff's office said. He then poured gasoline on the man and set him on fire, it added.
The man who was lit on fire was rushed to Tampa General Hospital and had been receiving care.
10 Tampa Bay's Leo Santos contributed to this report.