(Jamaica Gleaner) Less than a week after she shared the sad story of how a neighbour made inappropriate passes at her, the home of nine-year-old Abigail Reid was allegedly set ablaze yesterday morning while she and her two older brothers slept. Despite the efforts of residents to save them, none made it out alive. The three children perished in the blaze which destroyed their two-bedroom board house in the informal settlement of Hopeful Village, Jones Town, south St Andrew.
The other deceased siblings have been identified as 15-year-old Leonardo Morris, of Excelsior High School, and 18-year-old Bebeto Harris, who was a student at Tarrant High School.
According to the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), police records up to yesterday revealed that six persons have so far been killed in fires since the start of the year.
While declining to comment on the alleged inappropriate passes made at the nine-year-old girl, head of the Kingston West Police Division, Senior Superintendent Steve McGreggor, said a relative of the victims has been taken into custody.
“We have collected several statements and an uncle of the victims is being questioned,” SSP McGreggor told The Gleaner yesterday.