Neighbours accuse each other of arson

The flames from a fire on Rivero Street, which destroyed a one-bedroom house on Monday, may be out but there is still a heated exchange going on between the man who lived in it and the man who owns the property. News 5 was on the scene of the fire, and the dispute, this afternoon.

Henry Baizar, Fire Chief

“Someone must have started the fire. We don’t know who started the fire, to be honest with you. As I said, the investigation is ongoing and we probably will come up with someone who said they saw and then we will take it from there.”

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

But it did not take long before two next-door neighbours started pointing fingers at each other: the homeowner, Stanley Alvarez, and the supposed landowner, Roy Bood. Both men have been involved in an ongoing dispute. Bood claims he allowed Alvarez to build on his property until he was able to find a place of his own, but he claims he finally had to order Alvarez off the land after it became clear he had no intention of ever leaving.

Roy Bood, Neighbour

“I tell him word of mouth that he had to move the house off the land. He nevah budge. I gone to the Magistrate Court to see the bailiff and they ask me if I gave him a notice, I tell him by my mouth. He said that won’t work, I must give him a written notice. Well I got the written and they tell me to keep one copy and give him one. When I ker the copy to him, he tore it up. So the court said to give him one month. So when the one month up yesterday, I gone dah work and when I come back I hear he burn down the house. He never move out.”

However authorities say they do not have any evidence to support the allegation, although fire officials knew almost immediately that something was amiss.

Henry Baizar

“The fire started from outside the building other than inside. Second thing is that there was no electricity to the building. The owner of the building owned a candle and he claims he out the candle when he went to sleep.”

Fire Chief Henry Baizar says their investigations reveal that the dispute resulted in both men hurling threats at each other. But they cannot say if either man is responsible for the blaze, only that the fire was deliberately set. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.

The house, which was not insured, was valued at nine thousand dollars. Meanwhile, the police say that as a result of their investigation they do suspect arson and are looking for one person for questioning. However, they would not identify that person.