A Tampa man will spend four decades in prison for a brutal gas station attack that ended with a man in his 60s burned to death after a roadside argument turned deadly.
On Tuesday, 34-year-old Earl Hargrove Jr. was sentenced to 40 years behind bars after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for setting another man on fire at a north Tampa gas station in 2023. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of probation after his release. Prosecutors said the victim died weeks after the May 28, 2023 attack.
According to WFLA, prosecutors told the judge that Hargrove poured roughly 50 cents worth of gasoline on the victim before igniting him. The outlet reports Hargrove entered a guilty plea and accepted the 40-year sentence, followed by a decade of probation. Family members of the victim were in the courtroom, prosecutors said.
Attack At The Mobil On N. 22nd Street
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the confrontation started around 4:32 p.m. on May 28, 2023, at the Mobil station at 14516 N 22nd Street. Deputies said Hargrove bought a small amount of gasoline at the pump, poured it on the other man and then lit him on fire. The victim was rushed to Tampa General Hospital with life-threatening burns. Deputies arrested Hargrove at the scene.
"A verbal argument should never escalate to this level of violence," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the department's news release.
Victim, Family And Reaction
The victim, described as a man in his 60s, succumbed to his injuries on June 12, 2023, according to the sheriff's office and local coverage. FOX 13 reported at the time that he died after spending weeks in the hospital.
Family members returned to court on Tuesday for Hargrove's sentencing, WFLA reported, as prosecutors outlined the chain of events that led to the deadly encounter and the plea deal.
Plea Deal And What Comes Next
Hargrove's guilty plea to second-degree murder resolved a case that prosecutors had upgraded after the victim's death. Under the terms announced in court, he will serve his 40-year prison term followed by supervised probation.
Court records and prosecutors' statements describe the disposition delivered by the judge, which closes the criminal case but leaves behind a stark example for local officials of how fast a street argument can turn into a homicide.
