A son suspected of burning family home

While Saldivar and Plus TV will settle in court, a family in Belize City will also seek court action for their personal damages experienced this morning. At about eight o’clock, a family lost all their belongings in a fire.  That’s bad enough…but it gets worse because it is believed it is a case of arson and that the blaze was allegedly started by one of their own.  The two bedroom wooden house was situated in the Gungulung are of Lake Independence but all that remains are charred memories. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

A nineteen year old is in police custody for an allegation that he set his mother’s house on fire. The incident happened sometime after eight this morning.  According to a neighbor, moments after Alexander Pitts was seen exiting the house, a fire engulfed the wooden structure. Pitts, it is alleged, stood on the sidelines and watched as the family’s lifework went up in smoke.

Anna Lorenzo

Anna Lorenzo, Daughter of Homeowner

“Bout after eight, my ma get wah text from wah lady weh live close to the house. She said that the house deh pan fire. So we jump ina wah taxi and reach back there, when we reach back deh, everything gone; everything burned down. The neighbors dehn say how he light the fire and then from there just come out from the house and watch the house burn up.”

Duane Moody

“So your brother just stood there and watched the house as it was burning?”

Anna Lorenzo

“Yes.”

Duane Moody

“He was living there by himself?”

Anna Lorenzo

“He and my big bredda. I noh know the value, but my ma two wardrobes, my ma cabinet, wah lee blue thing weh she set her pots on, wah bunkbed, wah double bed, clothes, gas tank, bike; everything deh in there.”

Firefighters quickly responded to the scene and got into action; containing the fire. But all was lost. They confirmed that the incident appears to be a case of arson.

Benisford Matura, Operations Officer, National Fire Service

Benisford Matura

“We got a call at about eight-twenty-six this morning of a bush fire in the Holy Emmanuel Street in the Gungulung Area. When it is a bush fire only one of our appliance, the closest to the area would respond. Upon arriving to the area, radioed back and told headquarters that it was not a bush fire and it was a house fire. So the other fire tender was immediately dispatched. We got into operation and extinguished the fire in approximately twenty-minutes. We are investigating and we are leaning towards some sort of arson due to the fact that he was in the house by himself and just yesterday he attempted to light a mattress on fire. For some reason there is a family dispute and we suspect arson on his part.  The origin on the fire is in the bedroom, but what components came together to start that fire is still unknown.”

But although the fire has left the family in shock, Pitts had allegedly threatened to set the house on fire. In fact, on Wednesday a sofa was burnt by him.

Anna Lorenzo

“My ma just the tell me this morning when the fire happen that from yesterday, my big bredda tell she that how my lee bredda di try light the house on fire. And when we gone back deh soh, my ma show me my chair weh I left back deh soh weh ih mi di light up yesterday; almost done burn.”

But what could have triggered Pitts to deprive his family of their belongings? The family says they are hurt by the incident.

Anna Lorenzo

“Ih hurt we. Ih hurt we. Because then my big bredda right now he deh dah work and all weh he have dah the uniform weh ih got on. All weh my lee sisters dehn have dah the clothes weh my ma ker now and again dah the new house because my ma neva finish move yet; everything mi still deh back there for my ma.  Less than a month we move from there.”

Duane Moody

“What was the reason for you guys moving?”

Anna Lorenzo

“Because of my same lee bredda. When he smoke, he come and he want be violent. One spell he ih even haul machete after my ma fi chop my ma. So we move. We left ahn back deh soh—he and my big bredda—and we move from out of the area.”

David Gillett, Fire Victim

David Gillett

“I text my ma because when I mi deh by the door, I see ih lone di peep and watch. So I text my ma make ih go check pan Alex before ih burn down the house and couple minutes after ih happen.”

Duane Moody

“What are you guys going to do now?”

Anna Lorenzo

“We are going to leave it in the hands of the police because I tell my ma ih know exactly weh ih di do. From the time ih come out and he watch it gone up, he know weh ih di do.”

Duane Moody

“So are you guys planning to press charges against him?”

Anna Lorenzo

“I believe soh, I believe soh, because dah noh the first time ih attempt fi do it.”

Pitts and his brother, David Gillett, were living in the two bedroom house. But with the loss, Gillett says that all he is left with are the clothes on his back.

David Gillett

“Only this I got. I lost all my documents, my social I just take out, bank book, ATM card, everything. All my clothes, tennis.”

Duane Moody

“What are you going to do now?”

David Gillett

“Well I wah seek help, but have to ask the government if they could try help me out or anybody weh could help mi.”

Anna Lorenzo

“My big bredda, up to now, he wah know weh part he wah live? How he wah get clothes fi go dah work and soh. We noh know weh we wah do yet. During the course of today, we wah try figure out that.”

If anyone would like to assist, you can contact Gillett at 626-3479. Duane Moody for News Five.