An ex-solider yesterday set his Enterprise, East Coast Demerara home on fire with his wife and children in it, while threatening to kill them.
The fire, which was set at 1:50am, caved in the roof of the one-storey concrete house and engulfed everything inside.
The ex-soldier’s wife, three children and his mother managed to escape from the building while the man, identified as Rawle Glasgow, fled the scene.
He was later rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after ingesting poison.
Around 5pm yesterday, doctors were still treating him for the poisoning.
A neighbour said the man’s wife told her that he returned home late and an argument started between them.
The woman said the man became enraged and threatened to kill himself and everyone in the house. She added that she heard screaming and when she looked outside her window she saw the flames.
Stabroek News was unable to make contact with Glasgow’s relatives.
The matter is presently being investigated by the police and is being treated as arson.