Robber Set Customer On Fire After Duct-Taping Store Clerk, Suspect Arrested

A robber was caught on video Thursday duct-taping a store clerk and setting a customer on fire inside a convenience store in Palestine, Texas. Robert Thompson, 40, the man suspected of robbing the store, was arrested later the same day, and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery.

The robber could be seen clearly in the footage on the store's CCTV, which was obtained by local news networks. He entered the store called the Pit Stop at 9:30 a.m. local time (10:30 a.m. EST) on North Link Street, armed with a gun. He strode up to the store clerk at the counter and asked for something. As soon as the clerk turned her back to look for the item he had requested, he pulled out the gun and threatened the clerk, forcing her to back into a corner behind the counter.

After securing the clerk with duct tape, he was seen going outside the store door and talking to a customer. As soon as she smilingly gave him a hug, he used the opportunity to pull her inside the store, grinning to himself. Taking her back to where the clerk lay tied up, the suspect bound her also with duct tape.

Then he could be seen spraying both the women with lighter fluid and setting fire to the female customer’s back. “The suspect… decided to pour lighter fluid on the cashier and the customer. Right before he left, he lit a match and lit them on fire," Palestine Police Chief Andy Harvey said, adding, “All I can say is thank God no one got hurt that bad.”

Seconds after the suspect was seen fleeing the store, the woman who was set on fire realized what had happened and frantically started rolling on the floor. When that did not douse the fire, she began taking off her clothes. The female customer was later identified by police as Della Witt-Denizeri. She was transported to a local hospital, and then taken to a Dallas hospital for further treatment.

Witt-Denizeri’s injuries were not life-threatening although she sustained burns on her head, face, and neck. “When you see that video, it’s just amazing that she was able to get away,” Harvey said.

According to the store owner, the robbery suspect brought the lighter fluid with him as part of his planned attack. The suspect fled in a white Malibu or Impala on Highway 155 after robbing the store of $700-800.

Thompson was located at a different gas station on Thursday afternoon and taken into custody. According to Harvey, Thompson was a resident of the area and had a criminal history, mostly related to drugs. He was held on a $4 million bond.

“Our community is safer tonight because he’s been arrested. It could have been so much worse,” Harvey said. “I am proud of our officers and detectives who worked non-stop and seamlessly to get a violent offender off of our streets.”