Monster Florida woman throws gas on ex and lights her up after argument over a puppy: “I don’t feel like myself”
Florida – What began as a domestic argument inside a South Florida apartment has now turned into a criminal case with devastating consequences.
A woman is now accused of dousing her former partner with gasoline and setting her on fire during a dispute that authorities say spiraled far beyond words.
According to court records by the Broward County authorities, 48-year-old Kymesha Tarpley is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder with a weapon, along with first-degree and second-degree arson.
The case centers on an incident from the night of March 15, when officers with the Hollywood Police Department were dispatched to an apartment building after reports of a fire inside one of the units.
When police arrived around 10:15 p.m., Tarpley met one of the responding officers and gave her account of what had happened.
She said she had been home with her roommate, who was also her ex-girlfriend, Rachel Price, when the two got into an argument because Tarpley’s small dog had been bothering Price in the living room.
From there, per Tarpley claims, the conflict turned physical as they struggled near the balcony door.
In her version, the balcony door accidentally struck a container of gasoline, knocking it over and spilling fuel onto the floor. She then alleged that Price, who was holding a lit cigarette, stepped backward and dropped it, causing the gasoline to ignite and set Price on fire.
But Price told a completely different story, one that painted the fire not as an accident, but as a deliberate act.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Price said Tarpley threw gasoline on her.
She later told WPLG that the confrontation did begin with an argument, but that Tarpley then left the apartment and returned carrying a gas canister. Price said that when she asked about it, Tarpley allegedly hurled gasoline at her, threw a lighter, and ignited her. She said Tarpley then stood there and watched as she burned.
The violence did not end until help rushed in from nearby.
A fire marshal who lived in the apartment below reportedly heard Price screaming, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and ran upstairs to assist her. That quick response may have prevented even worse injuries, but the damage had already been done.
Authorities said Price suffered burns to her face and neck and was taken to a hospital, where she was intubated.
The injuries were severe. She has described living with second- and third-degree burns on her face and said that even a month later, the pain had not let up. Beyond the physical wounds, she said the attack has left her feeling unlike herself, a reflection of trauma that stretches far beyond the night of the fire.
“I don’t feel like myself,” she said, according to a report by the Law and Crime.
The criminal case also evolved as the seriousness of the allegations became clearer. Tarpley was initially arrested on an aggravated battery charge, but that charge was later elevated to attempted murder after Price pressed charges. Court records now show Tarpley has been formally arraigned and has entered a plea of not guilty.
The case is scheduled to return to court for a calendar call on June 18.
What remains at the center of the prosecution is not just the fire itself, but the stark clash between two explanations: one describing a chaotic accident during an argument, the other describing a calculated act of violence carried out after tempers had already flared.
Investigators and the courts will ultimately decide which version holds. For now, the case stands as a grim account of how a dispute inside a shared home ended in flames, life-altering injuries, and charges that could carry enormous consequences.
