Kitty youth wanted for setting couple on fire captured

Twenty-four-year-old Christian Joseph, also known as “Son-Son”, who has been wanted for allegedly setting fire to 22-year-old Sheldon Harry and his Venezuelan girlfriend during a row at Puruni Landing, Mazaruni River (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), has been apprehended on Thursday.

Based on reports received, Joseph, of Kitty, Georgetown, was captured at about 04:00h on Thursday at ‘Top Side’ Puruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and has been escorted to the Bartica Police Station, where he is expected to be questioned in relation to murder and attempted murder committed on Henry and his girlfriend on June 6.
It has been reported that, more than two weeks after the incident, Harry succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital. His girlfriend has reportedly been discharged after spending a few days in that medical facility.
It has been reported that on the day in question, an argument erupted between Joseph and his girlfriend, during which he threatened to harm her. In a bid to escape the man’s threats, the woman left her mining camp and went over to Harry’s camp, where she stayed the entire day.
While there, Joseph went over to Harry’s camp and continued to threaten the woman. Harry reportedly attempted to calm Joseph down, but the man instead left the camp and returned with a cutlass, and advanced toward his girlfriend.
At that time Harry intervened, and this angered the suspect. In retaliation, Joseph turned on Harry’s girlfriend and physically assaulted her. This, however, led to an argument between the two men, during which Joseph reportedly left the camp, but later returned with a bucket of gasoline and a piece of stick that was already alight.
Upon seeing this, Harry and his girlfriend attempted to escape, but Joseph went after them. He reportedly cornered them, doused them with the gasoline, and set them on fire.
After realizing what he had done, the suspect reportedly turned around and started to throw sand on Harry with the aim of putting out the blaze. However, after seeing the severity of his friend’s burns, he escaped from the scene.
Harry and his girlfriend both sustaining burns about their bodies, but managed to make it to a pharmacy at the landing, from whence they were transported to the hospital in the community before being medevacked to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were admitted in a critical state.
Harry’s girlfriend had sustained injuries to her hands, chest, neck, and side, while Harry had received second and third-degree burns on about 80 per cent of his body.