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alexk
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Residents of a San Fernando community are living in fear of a suspected serial arsonist whom they say is responsible for yesterday’s house fire in which a father and son were injured.
Cecil Phillip, 85, and his son Elvis, 55, narrowly escaped death after the arsonist succeeded on his sixth attempt to burn down their house at the corner of Rushworth and Harris Streets.
Their next-door neighbours, a family of five, were forced to jump through a window after the blaze spread to their roof and destroyed the upper floor of their house.
Residents suspect the arsonist is behind a string of fires in the San Fernando area. CCTV footage has linked him to at least three house fires in a four-block radius. Residents said the arsonist usually targets wooden vintage houses, strikes during the early hours of the morning and uses a flammable concoction to carry out his attacks.
The Phillip’s house was set on fire around 4 am. They hid in a concrete area to the back of their wooden home until the Fire Services doused the flames. The father and son suffered burns and were taken to the San Fernando General Hospital for treatment.
One of their relatives, who did not want to be named, complained, “This is the sixth time this happen and they keep making reports and nobody has been arrested. This person just keeps burning people houses,” she said.
Neighbour Bodnath Maharaj said he, his wife, two children, ages 12 and 7, and his mother, 79, jumped through a back window after the flames spread to their home. His wife received minor burns to her hands.
“I wasn’t seeing the neighbours, I thought they died,” said Maharaj, who complained that his neighbours made several reports to the police.
“Is five times they tried before to burn down the man house. There is a guy maliciously burning people houses and he always strike around 4 am,” he complained.
Another resident, Ian Chadee, said the arsonist made two attempts to burn down his parents home. He said the arsonist returned to his parents home early yesterday but went to Phillip’s house after he apparently saw the renovation work done to the house.
Following the second attack in May, he said his parents renovated the front wooden porch to an enclosed concrete board area.
“This morning he came with the concoction in his hand, his face covered, his gloves on, he watched up and realised it made no sense,” he surmised.
He said they have also installed security cameras, paid for private security patrols, installed wire mesh on all their windows and bought several fire extinguishers.
Chadee said the arsonist fit the description of the man captured on surveillance footage setting fire to the home and used bookstore of Merlyn Mohammed at the corner of Freeling and Rushworth Streets, last August.
Mohammed was hospitalised after she was badly burnt. Chadee said he and other relatives take turns staying with his parents, ages 77 and 68, and niece, in the event that the arsonist strikes.
He believes the police could identify and arrest the suspect if they obtain and sift through CCTV footage from the surrounding homes and businesses.
Police confirmed that both the Philip and Chadee families made reports at the San Fernando Police Station.