Did jealous man fatally burn his common-law wife?

It is not yet classified as murder, but tonight the family of a Georgetown Village resident is asserting that their loved one was burned to death by her enraged common-law husband. Around eleven o’clock on the night of March twenty-fourth, twenty-two year old Avett Augustine and her common-law husband Alvin Guzman, both suffering from burns, were rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital. Augustine’s injuries were severe and she was transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City, but around five this morning she passed away. Guzman remains admitted to ward in Dangriga under police guard suffering from burns to his face and hands. Police were not able to get a statement from Augustine before she died, but this afternoon her mother, Augustina Zuniga, reported to police that her daughter, on her death bed, related to her that Guzman had thrown gasoline on her and lit her on fire. For his part, Guzman told police that the incident was an accident. He says he was at home and as he was lighting a fish coil to repel mosquitoes, there was a sudden explosion and they both caught fire. Guzman claims the blaze was caused by a gallon of gas that was nearby in the room. But Augustine’s family is not buying Guzman’s story as the family says he has been physically abusing his common-law wife for some time. According to officer in charge of Independence Police, Assistant Superintendent Ralph Moody, they do not have any formal reports of domestic violence against Guzman, but neighbours have told them that the relationship was an abusive one. Moody says a team of investigators is currently in the village seeking more evidence. Although the house was not damaged in the “explosion”, over the weekend the police brought in the Fire Department to check out the scene and provide feedback. Authorities expect the investigation to be wrapped up by Friday and the file forwarded to the D.P.P. Augustine leaves behind two children. They were not at home at the time of the incident.