KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffWoman Says Suspect Poured Liquid on Her, Threatened to Set Her on Fire

"She came in the store and I came out from behind the counter and I greeted her she asked for bath salts."

That's how Crystal Basler Payne, owner of The Country Goddess, says her Saturday on September 13th started.  Payne says things went wrong when she started ringing up the sale.

"And I turned to look at the register and I turned back and that's when she threw the kerosene on me," Payne said. "She had it in a Dante water bottle."

Payne says at first it didn't register what was going on until she saw the lighter.

"She actually had the lighter at that point and she was flicking it, the lighter, in front of me and the lighter wouldn't light."

She began screaming for her life and ran for the front door.  But she never made it, she says she lost her footing and fell in front of a stack of posters.

"She said 'Be still and let me light you on fire.' There was no emotion in her voice.  At no point did she yell," Payne said.

Payne says she fought off her attacker for what seemed like an eternity, finally getting free and running for help at a nearby business.

John Beyler heard her screams.

"I was standing next to my motorcycle where I park it," he said.  "And I hopped on and chased after the lady that was running away from her.  And I chased her around a couple of buildings and she ended up getting away."

"It's really scary thinking that can happen."

But, Payne says this was no accident, that this was a planned attack.

"I believe it was a hate crime.  I mean because at no point did she ever ask for money she didn't to rob me.  Her intent was to put me on fire," Payne said.

Now Carbondale police are looking for the suspect.  She's described as an African American woman in her mid 20's.  She has a medium complexion with freckles, stands 5' 5", weighs roughly 120 pounds; and has straight, shoulder length hair with light streaks.

The suspect was last seen wearing a gray shirt, and charcoal colored pants and running east in the 600 block of S. Illinois Avenue.