Common-law-wife charged for setting home on fire

A small wooden home in the Saint Martin’s De Porres Area was gutted in an early morning blaze. The neighborhood was engulfed with smoke during the morning commute. The fire is being tagged as arson and that is because, the owner’s common-law wife, with whom he has been living for more than thirty years, reportedly set the house on fire. News Five’s Duane Moody has this report.

Duane Moody, Reporting
A domestic dispute between Lorraine Harris and Jonathon White ended in arson. The Fire Department says Harris started the fire some time after eight o’clock this morning.

Michael Middleton, Fire Department
“Last night the occupants of the house, Miss Loraine Harris and Jonathan White, they had a domestic dispute where Mr. White put out his common-law. Now we received from confirmation from Miss Harris that she entered the house this morning through the kitchen window and lit the place on fire. So that is an opened and closed case for the Fire Department.”

Duane Moody
“What did she use to light the house on fire?”

Michael Middleton
“Exactly what she used, I don’t really know.”

The call to the fire was placed around eight-thirty and shortly after Jonathan White arrived to find his home destroyed by the blaze.

Jonathan White, Arson Victim
“We come back here only to come and see the fire truck dousing my house completely engulfed in fire. Wake up Friday morning circle around the area to find her, didn’t see her. So I come in, took a shower in the bathroom about seven o’clock. About seven-thirty put on my clothes and then go to my neighbor and borrowed a padlocked that could lock and lock this door. So I locked the door and I went to work only to be informed by mi friend that the house was on fire and she gained access through the window and you can see the pan weh she climb up pan.”

White says there was a previous attempt to set the house on fire but that that he stayed in the relationship simply because he was fond of Harris.

Jonathan White
“I believe it’s a form of jealousy and grudge mix up in one because she have a tendency where she come and go as she feel like. It never became a problem to me because I get used to how she go and she come. But yesterday morning, wake up give her money as usual for lunch. She have food in the fridge, food on the stove and when I came home yesterday even she wasn’t here.”

Duane Moody
“People are saying that she had always hinted that she is going to burn down the house.”

Jonathan White
“Yes she tried already, she tried through that window right there.”

Duane Moody
“And it didn’t alert you that you know maybe she would have done it again?”

Jonathan White
“Yeah but it seem that I had a soft spot for that woman. It’s a form of weakness for she because long time we deh together and we pass through very rough times in life.”

Duane Moody
“They even said that she was actually asking around for fuel to light the house.”

Jonathan White
“Yeah I was informed of that, but I never believe she would actually light this house.”

White lost everything but says he can rebuild with some help.

Jonathan White
“We have two television we have amplifier, we have refridge, we have washing machine, we have gas stove, we have water cooler, all my electric tools, cabinet tools. Si mi cabinet bench right there. I build furniture in my spare time when I am home. This house was a very beautiful house.”

Duane Moody
“And everything is gone now.”

Jonathan White
“Everything is burn not even a suit. This is the suit of clothes I leave on my back. I believe all I need is help with material.”

Duane Moody
“Because you will build it back?”

Jonathan White
“Oh hell, I will put it back.”

Duane Moody
“How much would you say u lost total in figures?”

Jonathan White
“Total value, roughly about thirty-five thousand dollars.”

If anyone would like to assist White, you can contact him through Eustest Dawson at 227-6565 or 610-2835. Duane Moody, reporting for News Five.

Fifty-one year old Harris was charged with Arson this afternoon. She was offered bail of five thousand dollars, which she had not met at the close of the work day.