A St. Petersburg couple remains hospitalized Wednesday with serious burn injuries. Now, police are trying to determine what happened.

  • Pinellas couple remains hospitalized after Tuesday argument
  • Sheron Pasco, 37, was Bayflited to Tampa Genera
  • She was severely burned
  • Police found boyfriend John Riggins, 37, hours later

Just before 8 p.m. Tuesday, St. Pete Police officers say an argument occurred inside a home on 2800 24th Avenue South between Sheron K. Pasco, 37, and John Riggins, 37. The couple resides at that residence with Earnest Neals, Pasco's uncle.

Accorrding to reports, at some point during the argument Pasco's uncle said she became engulfed in flames. While the family was trying to help Pasco, who remains in critical condition, Riggins ran away.

"Seeing her on fire like that," recalled Neals, "that’s something unreal, something out of the movies."

After searching for hours, officers found Riggins at a vacant home nearby.

Riggins, who a witness said ran from the home with a gas can, was also taken to a nearby hospital for burns. His condition has not been released.

According to Neals, the couple's relationship had been violent in the past.

"Sometimes it was good, most of the time it was like arguing about being faithful and being unfaithful,” Neals said.

Riggins was initially called a suspect, but police now say they just want to talk to him about what happened. Riggins, who has a lengthy criminal record, has not been charged. Reports do indicate, however, that police had been called more to the couple's home more than 20 times in the past year.

Police say no one saw who set Pasco on fire. She denies doing it herself. And, according to Pasco's uncle, she denied that Riggins did it. Neals told reporters it wasn't the first time she's tried to protect Riggins.

"She called the police,” Neals said of previous incidents. “Then she would reverse everything around. She protected him again then."

Riggins and Pasco were the only two people in the room Tuesday night.

Pasco was reportedly Bayflited to Tampa General Hospital.

The investigation is on going.