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Hadfield Street fire…Suspected arsonists captured on CCTV
-owner angry over police inaction
A part owner of the Hadfield Street guest house that was destroyed by fire last Friday morning is not satisfied that the police are doing their best to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In fact Llewellyn Johnson is livid that the police have released on bail a man who he claimed could have been very helpful in solving the matter.
The building, along with another that houses the offices of Car Care Enterprise, went up in flames in an early morning blaze, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.
The gutted guest house (left) and the badly damaged car care building.
Investigators have already concluded that the burning of the building early Friday morning was the work of an arsonist since they received reports that persons were seen running away from the scene shortly before fire was seen coming from the building.
Additionally, Johnson disclosed that he has been able to secure footage from a closed circuit television camera that showed the perpetrators entering the building minutes before it was set alight.
Johnson is convinced that the fire is the work of a man with whom he and his relatives are involved in a dispute over the property.
He said that the matter has had a hearing in the high court after which the man was awarded the property.
However Johnson and his relatives appealed the ruling and that matter is presently before the Court of Appeal.
He said that in the meantime, he has been receiving threats from the man, who wants him to vacate the property.
Johnson has a caretaker residing in the premises which also offers short-time hotel services.
According to Johnson, the problem escalated when the caretaker began making some adjustments to the property to facilitate a business venture.
“They start sending people fuh watch, people fuh measure de place, they send city council and so it keep going. A vehicle keep passing up and down. And this is not the first time they try fuh burn down de building, dis is de third attempt,” Johnson told this newspaper.
He said that he made several reports to the Alberttown Police Station but “the police have never done anything with regards to the threats, and watch wha happen now. Me children lef with nothing, nothing.”
Johnson explained that he has camera footage of about five men entering the building from the front before the blaze.
“Two man with all over black, two pon bicycle, a big strong one with a back-pack , he gat fuh be de gasoline man. When he went in de building, 15 minutes after, de building catch afire,” Johnson explained.
“This thing ain’t hurt me and me children alone. Look Mr. Branford, Car Care, millions of dollars he lose too. A girl get bun up,” Johnson told this newspaper.
He strongly believes that one of his employees, who operated the guest house, could provide the police with vital information.
The man was detained by police but was subsequently released on station bail, a move that has angered Johnson.
“They saying that they had 72 hours and they had to release he, but they could’a do much more work in that 72 hours,” he argued.
Johnson stated that the guesthouse’s policy is that no two men would be allowed to rent one room.
“We see (on the camera footage) two men go up twice, two with all over black. There is no way these two men could’a get up in de building, he (employee) had to let them in,” Johnson said.
He said that according to the camera footage, the perpetrators did not leave the building the same way they entered and he is convinced that they were aided in their escape through the back by his employee.
He stated that with some enhancing of the camera footage, investigators will be able to recognize the suspected perpetrators.
Johnson said that investigators did not take proper statements from the other persons who were in the building at the time of the fire, including an occupant who felt gasoline on his skin shortly before the building was set alight.
“This man used to put people fuh call me and tell me he gon put people fuh kill me and burn de building down. Ah go and tell Alberttown Police Station and they never do anything. One time when my mother was here they set fire and she nearly get heart attack. De second time was de Fire Service that out it, and now dey burn it down,” a frustrated Johnson stated.
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