JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 58-year-old man intentionally set his girlfriend on fire Wednesday evening while she worked inside a Golden Corral on the Westside, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
Darryl Tyrone Whipple, 58, was arrested on charges of attempted murder, battery and criminal mischief or interruption of a business, according to the Sheriff's Office.
He made his first appearance in court on Thursday wearing a red jumpsuit, an indicator that he is on suicide watch. He was ordered held without bond and will be back in court Nov. 1.
Whipple is accused of dousing 56-year-old Carol Renee Demmons with flammable liquid and lighting her on fire as she worked behind the dessert counter inside the restaurant on Memorial Park Road, just off Normandy Boulevard.
Officers were called about 5 p.m. Wednesday to the Golden Corral restaurant, and Demmons was airlifted to the UF Health Shands Hospital Burn Unit in Gainesville. She suffered burns to more than 70 percent of her body, according to police.
As of Friday morning, Demmons' family said she remained in critical condition.
JSO Sgt. Jay Farhat said Whipple stayed at the scene and was easily taken in custody.
Police said Whipple walked in the restaurant, went behind the dessert counter where Demmons was working, doused her with lighter fluid and set her on fire with a lighter as she tried to run away. The fire set off the restaurant's sprinkler system.
VIDEO: Man set girlfriend on fire, police say
The whole incident was recorded by a surveillance camera, police said.
"Watching it on video is pretty graphic. It was worse than what we expected. Based on what we're seeing, we're charging him," Farhat said.
According to the arrest report, officers found Whipple sitting on the curb outside. When they arrived, he stood up and placed his hands behind his back, the report said.
A witness told News4Jax that she was at the dessert counter when she saw Whipple pour the liquid on Demmons' head and then light her back on fire as she ran away.
Grace Cooks said she immediately called 911 as Demmons' co-workers rushed to put the fire out.
“All her skin burned off, her hair was gone. She was an African-American lady. You couldn't even
tell she was African-American anymore. It was very bad,” Cooks said. "The only thing I'm thinking, this is somebody's daughter, somebody's mother, her sister. That could have been one of my loved ones."
Cooks, whose 9-year-old son also witnessed the attack, said a crew of JEA workers who were at the restaurant also jumped up to help Demmons.
"I just started praying immediately, because I couldn't believe what I had just seen,” Cooks said. “I was like, what could she have done so bad that would make someone do that?”
Cooks said she can't get the images out of her head. She described Whipple as calm after the attack. She said she was thankful he was arrested at the scene.
The owners of the restaurant, Janet Murphy and Rick Eggmeyer, told News4Jax that Demmons was always been a kind person and hard worker.
A spokesperson for the Golden Corral franchise released the following statement Wednesday night:
"An employee at our Memorial Park road location in Jacksonville, Florida was tragically attacked today by an individual known to the employee and not affiliated with our company. We are cooperating fully with the authorities regarding their investigation into this matter. Our thoughts and prayers are with the employee and her family at this time."
The restaurant was packed when the attack happened and many people ran off. Police said they need to interview witnesses, so anyone who was there at the time is asked to call police at 904-630-0500.
I-TEAM: Whipple previously arrested for domestic battery
Investigators labeled the attack a domestic violence incident and said Whipple and Demmons were in a relationship. They are still trying to determine why he attacked her.
Police said Whipple does have a history of domestic issues.
Three years ago, another woman petitioned the court for a domestic violence injunction against Whipple. He's had other run-ins with police, as well, including arrests for domestic battery and aggravated assault.
He was arrested for domestic battery on Demmons in April but she declined to press charges, admitting that she started the fight. The arrest report indicated Demmons pulled a knife on Whipple.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said there are often signs, but domestic violence can be unpredictable.
"It really doesn't have a set pattern. A person can have no history of domestic violence and then the first time become extremely violent. Sometimes those patterns are hard to follow," Smith said. "If someone has a very controlling nature, they want to control where you go, they want to know who you're with all the time, checking your cellphone, just have a controlling nature -- that's a sign that violence could be there."