Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Pouring Gasoline on 20-Year-Old Woman and Setting Her on Fire

A man was charged with attempted murder after allegedly setting a 20-year-old woman on fire in Harnett County, North Carolina earlier this month.

On December 16th, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford after Ashanti Downey arrived with burns on the right side of her body. Downey was taken to a burn center and is in critical but stable condition. Investigators charged 23-year-old Jami Raiziah Griffin with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and assault on a female, according to arrest warrants. The murder warrant accuses Griffin of pouring gasoline on Downey, causing second and third-degree burns. Griffin had previously been charged with making a threatening phone call to another woman on November 6th.

According to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Downey was walking near N.C. 27 West and Barbecue Church Road when three unknown individuals allegedly poured gasoline on her and set her on fire with a cigarette. Griffin is being held without bail at the Harnett County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

An online GoFundMe for Downey’s medical expenses had raised over $86,000 as of Saturday morning.

“My daughter will be celebrating her 21st birthday on January 1st, 2025, and due to the hatred of an individual or individuals, her life will be forever changed,” her mother, Donecia Davis, wrote on the campaign page.