Woman doused with fluid, lit on fire at Jacksonville Golden Corral

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville police said a woman may not survive after she was doused with fluid and set on fire while working at a Jacksonville Golden Corral.

Officers said the restaurant on Memorial Park Road, near Normandy Boulevard, was packed around 5 p.m. on Wednesday when a man walked in.

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Surveillance video shows the man douse the woman in her 50s with a flammable liquid and light her on fire, officers said.

Jacksonville police said the woman knew the man. A Golden Corral spokesperson said he did not work at the restaurant.

The suspect was found sitting on a curb next to the restaurant.

The suspect, 58-year-old Darryl Tyrone Whipple, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, officers said.

Golden Corral released a statement:

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 victim, who hasn't been identified, was taken to UF Health in Gainesville for treatment of burns to 70 to 80 percent of her body.

She is in life-threatening condition, according to police.

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