The incident happened around 2 p.m. along the 1500 block of Cordova Street, where neighbors said the 41-year-old victim, later identified as Dawn Hensley of Pomona, was running from a home fully engulfed in flames.
She was rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to her severe burn injuries.
Police believe Hensley was involved in a domestic dispute and doused in gasoline by the suspect before she was lit on fire, possibly with a cigarette.
The suspect, believed to be Clarence Duwell Dear, 51, of Pomona, remained at large and was considered dangerous.
He is described as a black man, standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with black and gray hair and brown eyes.
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It is unclear as to whether or not the suspect fled the area on foot or in a vehicle.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Pomona police at 909-620-2085 or "Crime Stoppers" at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).