Police hunt man who set girlfriend on fire

The St Elizabeth police have launched a manhunt for Dwight Ian Stephenson, who doused his girlfriend with a flammable substance and set her ablaze about two weeks ago, after he failed to appear in court on another charge last week.

According to an eyewitness, Sashanna Eason was at work, seated around the serving area with her head resting on the counter, when Stephenson, otherwise called Zarro, who was before the St Elizabeth Circuit Court on a rape charge, walked into the bar with a bucket containing a substance believed to be gasolene and poured it on the head, face and body of his girlfriend.

“It looks like this man plan out how he wanted to get rid of the girl,” the eyewitness told WESTERN STAR.

“He went into the bar with a construction site bucket containing what look like water and a lighter in his hand. He then started to throw the contents of the bucket on her, then used his lighter to set her on fire.”

RUSHED TO HOSPITAL

In confirming the incident, Superintendent Catherine Lord, commanding officer for the St Elizabeth Police Division, said that there were three patrons who managed to put out the blaze and rushed the victim to the Mandeville Regional Hospital. She was then transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) where she died while undergoing treatment on March 16.

“A warrant has since been issued for Stephenson’s arrest,” Lord said. “He was reporting (to the police) on condition of bail in a case of rape in the St Elizabeth Circuit Court, however, he did not appear before the court last week”

Lord added: “The police are actively combing the parish and other police divisions for him, and we are asking that he turn himself over to the St Elizabeth police or the nearest police station.”