A single mother and her 11-year-old child are now homeless after her ex-husband broke into her home at East Canje, Berbice and set it on fire.
The incident occurred at around 22:30hrs on Tuesday at Lot 35, Raghubir Street, Reliance Abandon, East Canje Berbice.
Police have since arrested 29-year-old hire car driver named Davendra Samru called “Vicky”.
Residents say the fire was started by the taxi driver, who previously lived at the house with the woman, Navinie Bhagwandin and her child.
He was reportedly put out of the house about a month ago.
Bhagwandin had been renting the property for the past two years.
She was not at home when Samru reportedly broke into the house.
Rita Bridgemohan, who lives next door, is the caretaker of the property.
She recalled that the man had arrived at the house and threatened to burn it down.
After receiving news of what was happening, Bhagwandin arrived with two police officers.
The man was warned to leave the premises but he refused, and even issued threats to the woman in the presence of the cops.
“The police go in the yard and they call and then he come out on the verandah on the upstairs and start to curse. He had a cutlass and start lashing the rail. He say if anybody come inside he gon kill them,” Bridgemohan said.
Residents say the man started dancing, singing and taunting neighbours while continuing his threats to burn the house.
Reports are that he even began taking objects from the building and throwing them at the two officers who were standing in the yard.
The cops left the yard in a rush when a table was thrown at them.
Samru then lighted what appeared to be a piece of paper as he stood on the verandah and held it for all to see.
He then threw the lighted paper into the house.
Immediately, flames erupted and within a minute, the entire upper portion of the two-story building was engulfed.
Shortly after, the man was seen running out of the building and came onto the street where he was arrested.
Two units from the New Amsterdam Fire Service arrived on the scene and were able to prevent the fire from spreading. The building was however reduced to ashes.
