In a shocking incident that has left the Sophia community in Greater Georgetown in dismay, a mentally deranged man allegedly set fire to a family home on Thursday.
The incident has brought to light the escalating problem of arson in Guyana, with the latest incident being just one of many in recent times. According to eyewitnesses, the fire was started by a 23-year-old man at Lot 1243 B Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
The man’s father, Samuel Yanson, was not at home when he received a call that his house was on fire.
Yanson, who was visibly shaken and emotional, told media operatives that he rushed to the scene as soon as he received the call but was unable to save the house.
“I get a message from my daughter that the place burning and by the time I get here, I see the whole place on fire. I hear that he come and light the fire and then walked around the other side. The next-door neighbour said when they saw him, they asked him why he did that,” he said.
The father believes that the motive for starting the fire was an argument between the arsonist and his brother earlier in the morning over a pair of shoes.
Meanwhile, the suspect was later arrested by Police. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the house was completely destroyed. Yanson said he lost everything, including items he had been saving as a memory since 1993.
The house was shared by Yanson and several family members. This incident came just days after a man assaulted his mother and then set the house on fire in Herstelling on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
It was reported that a man with a history of abusive behaviour towards his mother beat her and set their house on fire, leaving the woman, her brother, and three Brazilian tenants with nothing but ruins.
Despite the swift response of the Fire Service, the building and its contents were completely destroyed, leaving the community in shock and struggling to come to terms with the senseless violence that has shattered the family’s life.
