Deputies said the 84-year-old suspect poured a flammable liquid on the vehicle after an argument.
OAKLAND PARK, FL — An 84-year-old Broward County man was denied bond Monday after deputies said he set a car on fire with a woman inside in an Oakland Park convenience store parking lot.
Franklin Davis faces charges of premeditated attempted murder, arson causing bodily harm and criminal attempt, solicitation and conspiracy to commit a capital felony. The case moved into court after Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said the woman suffered third-degree burns to her left leg and Davis suffered burns to his hands and face. Corrections officials held Davis at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale after a judge ordered him held without bond.
The fire followed an argument Friday in Oakland Park, deputies said. Davis and the woman had recently ended a 42-year relationship, according to investigators. Deputies said the confrontation happened in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven at 3100 NW 9th Ave. Davis was under the influence of alcohol when he poured a flammable liquid and set the fire, deputies said. The woman was inside the vehicle when the flames started. Local television footage from court showed Davis using a wheelchair during his Monday appearance.
Officials have not released the woman’s name, her age or an updated condition. They also have not said who called 911, how the woman got out of the car or whether bystanders helped before emergency crews arrived. The arrest report details that Davis was also injured, with burns to his hands and face, but deputies did not release the hospital where either person was treated. The type of flammable liquid used in the fire has not been publicly identified.
The charge list shows investigators are treating the fire as an intentional attack, not an accidental vehicle fire. The attempted murder count accuses Davis of trying to kill the woman with premeditation. The arson count centers on the fire and the injuries that followed. The third count, criminal attempt, solicitation and conspiracy to commit a capital felony, signals that prosecutors are reviewing the case as a serious violent felony. No plea was reported Monday.
The case also centers on a relationship that deputies said lasted more than four decades before it recently ended. Investigators have not said what the couple argued about Friday or whether deputies had been called to the pair before. The 7-Eleven address sits in a busy part of Oakland Park, a Broward County city north of Fort Lauderdale, where convenience stores and small businesses line the surrounding streets. The fire left both the woman and Davis injured, according to deputies.
Davis’ next court step was not immediately detailed in the public report. Prosecutors are expected to review the arrest allegations and decide how to proceed with formal filings. Investigators may also seek surveillance video from the store, witness statements from people in the parking lot and fire evidence from the damaged vehicle. The woman’s medical condition could affect how prosecutors frame the case as it moves forward.
Davis remained at the Broward County Main Jail after bond was denied. The next milestone in the case is the filing of formal charging documents and the release of any additional court dates.
Author note: Last updated July 7, 2026.