Suspect in homeless woman's burning is mentally ill, police say A man arrested on suspicion of setting a homeless woman on fire while she slept on a Van Nuys bus bench is believed to be mentally ill, police said. There was no rhyme or reason for Thursday's attack that left the woman known as Flo in critical condition after she was allegedly doused with rubbing alcohol and set on fire by Dennis Petillo, 24, said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese. Police have not released the woman's name, but residents said she was Flo Parker. She was also known as Violet: a 5-foot-tall woman with dirty blond hair and a time-worn face that made her look older than her 67 years. She remained in critical condition Friday. In Thursday's early hours, witness Erickson Ipina told reporters, he watched in horror as the attack unfolded. "Hey, stop right there!" he said he yelled. "I pulled out my cellphone and called 911 and then he just turned back on me and pulled out a knife," said Ipina, whose account was confirmed by the LAPD.