The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) yesterday concluded that the blaze that destroyed the home of a 64-year-old woman of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, was an act of arson allegedly by her son.
The GFS stated that they received a call at 19:01 pm on Monday about a fire at Lot 399, Third Street, Herstelling, East Bank Demerara.
Water tenders accompanied by a water bowser from the West Ruimveldt and Diamond fire stations were immediately dispatched to the location. Upon arrival, firefighters saw a two-storey wooden and concrete building engulfed in flames. The building was owned by 64-year-old Maharanie Mohan, which she occupied along with 61-year-old Ramesh Pritipaul.
As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were destroyed, leaving several persons homeless. Also affected by the blaze were two houses located at lots 398 and 400 Third Street, Herstelling. The radiated heat from the fire severely damaged a PVC ceiling, guttering, telephone cable, windows, tiles, and a northern wall.
Mohan told reporters that her son attacked her and set the house ablaze. According to Mohan the argument ensued after she refused to call her son’s girlfriend. She added that her son would usually abuse her physically and verbally. “Tell me that how me must call she and tell she that he deh in hospital fuh get she fuh come here and the two ah them gon go to court. Meh seh me can’t do that and because I ain’t do that he drink up and he smoke up. He scramble meh, pull meh down, shove meh down deh, push he hand in my bosom tek out meh money.”
Mohan added that after she was beaten, she reported the matter to the police but they were unable to apprehend him at the time. She returned home and hid all sharp objects and her son came home in search of them. She added that when he returned she was in the bathroom at the time and was afraid to exit.
“Me deh in the bathroom and me see one hand a come so by the sink, in the toilet sink, now meh frighten fuh come out the bathroom because he face look different; he eye red and he look like a murderer and he threatened that meh go get a brutal death”, she said.
Mohan said that it was not the first time her son had assaulted her but she managed to exit the bathroom. “Is something he doing all time but this is the worse and biggest thing he do because when people ah sleep he does bruk up them window. He ah go fuh pelt he hand and he ah look fuh weapon in the kitchen chopper and so all the cutlass and so meh hide away. The lord tell meh come out from this place and meh pick up the bag with all the documents deh in and meh put one two piece ah meh nighty and two piece ah clothes heading fuh go by meh son in Eccles. He run and lock the door and meh run and open the door and he scramble meh.”
The woman managed to escape from her son and ran to a neighbour for safety. It was then that her son allegedly set the house ablaze. He was subsequently arrested by police.
