A Corentyne mother and her four children are homeless after a fire, confirmed to have been deliberately set, destroyed their two-bedroom home at Free Yard, Port Mourant, early Tuesday morning.
Stephanie Cecil, 29, a security guard, said she was not at home at the time after deciding to stay with her mother nearby following an argument with her former partner earlier that day.
She said she secured the house after returning from work on Monday night but later felt uneasy and left with two of her children.
“Me and my ex had an issue at the workplace and I had second thoughts about sleeping home,” Cecil said.
Around 5:30 a.m., relatives alerted her that the house was on fire.
Residents reportedly saw smoke and flames coming from the back section of the building and rushed to the scene, believing the family was trapped inside.
The fire destroyed the wooden house and its contents.
Cecil said she had received threatening messages from her former partner hours before the blaze and suspects he may have been involved.
She added that residents told her surveillance cameras in the area allegedly captured a man resembling him walking through the neighbourhood around 3:00 a.m., although she has not seen the footage herself.
“I suspect my ex because of the threats and what people are telling me about the cameras, but I have not seen the footage myself,” she said.
The house was powered by solar energy and had no electricity connection, she added.
Police have since visited the scene and launched an investigation.
Cecil is now appealing for public assistance to help rebuild her family’s life.
Persons wishing to assist can contact her at 634-3115.
