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After spending 17 cents at this Florida gas station, he lit the pump on fire, cops say


Gas prices are still pretty low right now as the pandemic rages on, but one driver apparently didn’t want to pay the going rate.

According to a report from the Duval County Sheriff’s Office, John P. Kenney was arrested, accused of setting a fire to a pump at a BP gas station in Jacksonville last week.

The complaint says that deputies responded to the BP on an arson call at around 10:30 a.m. last Tuesday.

When they arrived, they saw a burnt-out pump that had already been sprayed down with fire extinguisher retardant by employees.

A receipt was sticking out showing 17 cents of gas was the last purchase made by a credit card.

The station’s surveillance video caught the last customer pumping gas, then pouring gas on the pump and ground, and setting a fire, the police report said. Then the suspect, whose occupation was listed as an Uber driver on the police report, ran off eastbound.

After canvassing the area, officers were able to catch up to the 54-year-old man who was standing in the street wearing the same clothing as the person seen setting the fire in the video.

Kenney, an Uber driver from New Jersey, admitted he was at the gas station but denied any wrongdoing. The same credit card used at the pump was found in his wallet, according to the affidavit. He said the card belonged to his girlfriend who could not be located by law enforcement.

He was arrested on arson charges and credit card fraud. Bail was set at $102,500.