By
Stabroek
staff |
Friday,
November 27,
2009
Explosive
devices were
hurled at a Sophia
home yesterday but
quick action by
residents averted
a major disaster.
The occupants
of the Lot 12
Denis Street,
South Turkeyen
house that was the
target of the
attack insisted
that it was the
work of a woman
who had made a
threat the
previous day.
Shellon Sancho
recalled that
around 02:30hrs
she awoke to hear
four explosions.
Shortly after, she
heard her
grandfather
shouting
‘fire.’ Sancho
looked out her
bedroom window and
saw a bright glow
on her
neighbour’s
house and assumed
that that house
was on fire.
However, when she
went to the front
of her house she
was met with
flames. Her
grandfather ran to
get a bucket of
water to quell the
flames while she
scrambled two
sleeping children
out of the
building,
according to the
woman.
By this time
neighbours were
alerted and formed
a bucket brigade.
At the scene,
the front of the
house was damaged
and a building in
front of it was
completely
destroyed. A shop
nearby was
scorched.
According to
Sancho, her uncle,
who owned the
gutted building
and lived at the
bottom of the two-storey
house, had a
problem with a
former girlfriend
who he accused of
breaking into his
house and stealing
several items.
Sancho added that
on the previous
day, the two ended
up at the Turkeyen
Police Station and
some of the stolen
articles were
returned to the
man. The woman,
she added, denied
taking any
jewellery from the
home as was
claimed.
Sancho told
Stabroek News that
while at the
station the woman
threatened her
uncle in front of
the police. She
said that though
the woman lives in
the area, she did
not come during or
after the fire.
Sancho added that
persons in the
area reportedly
saw her board a
mini bus and that
was the last time
she was seen.
A quantity of
office chairs and
other items that
were in the
destroyed building
were lost while
Sancho lost about
$140,000 in stock
and two freezers,
as a result of the
incident.
What
remained of the
Lot 12 Denis
Street, South
Turkeyen house
after unknown
persons hurled
explosive
devices at it
early yesterday
morning.
She said that
based on the
sounds she heard
before the shouts
of fire, someone
threw explosive
devices at the
house with the aim
of burning it
down.
She said that the
police visited the
home several hours
after the blaze
had been
extinguished by
residents and they
have since been
told that they
needed to take an
estimate of their
losses and damages
to the station.
Sancho urged the
police to
investigate the
matter urgently,
especially since
the woman had made
a threat while at
the police
station.
