The fire which gutted the home of a West Bank Demerara (WBD) Disc Jockey (DJ), Dorrel Romeo, popularly known as DJ Magnum, late Sunday night, may have been an act of arson.
The blaze started around 23:00h on Sunday night in the upper-section of the DJ’s home, located at Lot 238 Good Intent Village, WBD; the DJ was not home at the time.
Persons gathered at the scene of the fire
Multiple eyewitnesses informed this publication and Police investigators that two females, one of whom was said to be of unsound mind, were seen lingering on the back step of the man’s property, moments before the fire started.
Guyana Times understands that the fire might have deliberately been set by a woman with whom Romeo shared a relationship. According to reports, the individual entered the home and set fire to the curtains, after which the blaze then quickly spread. The two women reportedly fled the yard and boarded a waiting motor car, said to be a Toyota 212. Several eyewitnesses explained that they were not alarmed by the waiting car and sight of visiting women, as several persons would frequent the popular DJ’s dwelling place. One neighbour indicated that he too saw the women around 22:30h, but retired to bed some minutes after, opting not to call his neighbour’s mobile number.
He explained that it was around 23:05h that firefighters, who reside in the area, sounded the alarm and they along with neighbours embarked on a bucket brigade to douse the fire.
DJ Magnum, who lived alone, was at one of his gigs on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway when he received a call from his mother in the United States, who reportedly owned the house. Romeo arrived at the scene moments after midnight with his current girlfriend but was unable to save any of his belongings. When asked whether or not he had enemies, the man said he has received threats in the past and confirmed that the fire might have been set by someone he knew.
“It does be indirect threats… if a man got a family at GPL, he would probably ask them to cut off me light. As I was told that it was two females that were at my house, I would assume that it had to do with somebody heart that was broken and can’t control their emotions and misery needs company so whoever heart was broken probably get a friend to prompt her up, but nobody has evidence and I wouldn’t point fingers,” the man explained early Monday morning.
This newspaper was later informed that Romeo, who reportedly studied at the Carnegie School of Home Economics, was planning to open a food establishment and had acquired several pieces of equipment to this end, which were reportedly destroyed in the blaze.
When the fire fighters arrived at the scene, they were forced to source water from a canal several feet away as some drains were clogged. They were, however, able to contain the blaze to the one building. Both houses at the two sides were mildly scorched. An investigation has been launched.
