Taxi driver charged for setting his ex’s home on fire
A Belize City taxi driver is in the hot seat tonight, facing charges of Arson. This follows a fire at the home of a social worker on Thursday night. Police say they were summoned to Mex Avenue around ten-thirty p.m. and saw smoke coming from the lower flat of the two-storey wooden structure. Thirty-one year old Shelley Jones had just left home to make a report at the Raccoon Street Police Station that her ex-common law husband was stalking and threatening her. But no sooner had she left home to make that report when a neighbour said she saw the same man running away from her house and Jones’ kitchen was on fire. This afternoon News Five visited the residence and spoke with Jones’ mother, Jennifer Coye, who was asleep with her grandchildren when the house was set ablaze.
Jennifer Coye, House Set On Fire
“Wah neighbour pan di other side di call seh di house deh pan fire. Ih di ask if anybody deh home or who dah di owner because di back ah di house deh pan fire. When I dash out I see di back part eena flame. I grab di three children and tek dehn out.”
Marion Ali
“And you noh know if dis guy mi deh yah before, like just minutes before? I understand neighbours saw him.”
Jennifer Coye
“When I come out and dash downstairs, di first person weh greet me tell me bout di person.”
Marion Ali
“You neva know dat ih mi deh yah?”
Jennifer Coye
“No, I never know bout di fire. Dah wah neighbour wake me.”
Marion Ali
“So apparently he just came by and lit the fire and left?”
Jennifer Coye
“Run. When di person hail me I noh know if mi deh round or what because dehn seh ih just run through di alley.”
Marion Ali
“What all was damaged or destroyed?”
Jennifer Coye
“Everything from the kitchen and the boys’ room get wet up. And everything eena di kitchen weh noh bruk, plastic and things like that burn. Dah young man I noh really think he mi want mi daughter di way he used to treat ah.”
Marion Ali
“But why would he, if they couldn’t make it why would he come by and light di house fire? He wanted her back?”
Jennifer Coye
“Only she could ah ansa dat.”
Marion Ali
“dah out ah spite?”
Jennifer Coye
“I believe so because ih goh round, ih threaten ah, ih goh dah ih work, ih follow ah and deh thing deh.”
Police have detained taxi driver, forty-two year old Cecil Lewis of Faber’s Road pending a charge of Arson. Jones’ landlord lives in Hattieville.
