A 48-year-old Hollywood woman faces arson and aggravated battery charges after police say she threw gasoline on her ex-girlfriend and set her on fire during a domestic disturbance inside an apartment on the 3300 block of Emerald Point Drive. Kymesha Tarpley was arrested and denied bond by a judge, remaining behind bars as of Wednesday. The victim suffered serious third-degree burns and was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment.
A fire marshal named David who lives in the area witnessed the incident and rushed to help the women. “To see the pain on her face, while she was here screaming and crying the whole time, that’s not an easy thing to witness,” he said. David told Local 10 News he heard screaming Monday night and looked out his window before immediately springing into action after seeing a fire and two women inside a burning apartment.
The good Samaritan described his rescue efforts in detail, explaining how he retrieved firefighting equipment from the building. “I ran into the hallway here and that’s when I punched this and got the fire extinguisher,” he said. “I ran upstairs and was banging on the door. The smoke was so thick that you can’t run in there, it was just billowing out.” David’s hand remained bandaged from the firefight, but he managed to put out the flames before encountering his neighbors.
The fire marshal described the victim’s condition as deeply disturbing, emphasizing the severity of her injuries. “It was painful to see, painful to hear,” he said. “It wasn’t like a typical scream of like somebody scared – no, you can hear the pain. It’s a different level of trauma.” Hollywood police classified the incident as a domestic disturbance when officers arrived at the scene.
Tarpley faces multiple serious charges including aggravated battery and arson causing great bodily harm in connection with the Tuesday incident. The victim told responding officers that her ex-girlfriend threw gasoline on her before the fire started. The case represents another domestic violence incident involving severe injuries in Broward County, where such cases have drawn increased attention from law enforcement and advocacy groups.
The investigation remains ongoing as the victim continues treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital for her third-degree burns. Court records show Tarpley will remain in custody without bond as prosecutors prepare their case against her on the arson and battery charges.