Man caught on video setting fire to Staten Island gas station

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The search continues Tuesday for a suspect who lit a fire and attempted to spark an explosion at a gas station on Staten Island, leaving a man seriously injured.

The incident happened just before 2 a.m. Monday at the BP gas pumps in front of a 7-Eleven on Richmond Avenue in Bulls Head.

According to police, the suspect filled a portable gas can with gasoline, sprayed gasoline around it and used a lit piece of paper to ignite a fire.

The gas station's fire suppression system extinguished the blaze.

A 21-year-old man who was in the vicinity was hurt and was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in serious but stable condition.

The suspect took off in an unknown direction.

Police describe him as a dark-skinned male; last seen wearing a light-colored long-sleeved shirt, dark colored shorts and dark colored slippers. He arrived at the location inside of a blue mini-van.

Amazingly, the gas station is back open, though some of the tanks remain closed off.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at NYPDCrimeStoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.