A Canefield Settlement, East Canje Berbice, hire car driver, was arrested on Tuesday evening after he torched the house he once occupied with his partner and her daughter, which was located in Reliance, East Canje Berbice.
According to informa-tion gathered, the fire, which started just around 10 pm on Tuesday, com-pletely destroyed the two-storied wooden house.
Firefighters who quickly arrived on the scene were able to put out the fire before it could spread to any nearby buildings.
Residents in the area yesterday told Stabroek News, that the man, 29, and the woman, separated about one month ago. However, on Tuesday he returned in an intoxicated state to the house, where his belongings were still stored, armed with a cutlass.
The resident recounted that the man’s ex-partner and her daughter, 12, were not at home at the time. “He deh in the house and he start cuss up and fighting and breaking up things and like he calling the girl to come on the phone but she na come so somebody call the police.”
The resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, continued, “The station deh one street away so two police walk come and he run them with the cutlass and be time them go bring back up he done start the fire”.
According to the eye-witness, the suspect was in the house for some time after the fire started but ran out once the upper flat was completely engulfed in flames.
He was promptly arrested by the police who by that time were present on the scene.
Further, based on information gathered, the house belonged to an overseas-based couple who had left it in the care of a relative. “When them two lef, the girl and she daughter did staying in the house still but she does deh a friend in Canefield and she does go and come.”
A relative yesterday told Stabroek News, that residents were not able to save anything, and they have estimated their total losses to be just over $10 million.
Meanwhile, as of yester-day afternoon, the suspect remained in police custody at the Reliance Police Station, with both the police and fire service launching investigations.
