Death of couple and son in Cummings Lodge inferno…Detained landlord’s son had argued with tenant over rent minutes before fire started

As police continue to question a suspect, new information is emerging that appears to suggest that last Saturday’s fire which destroyed a two storey, nineapartment Cummings Lodge building and killed a couple and their 14yearold son was deliberately set. Still in custody is the landlord’s 30yearold son, who was arrested when he returned to the scene. Police have established that the man had visited the Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara building minutes before the fire started, but the detained man has denied that he started the blaze. Police hope that CCTV footage they are attempting to obtain will provide leads. Investigators were told that the landlord’s son was involved in an argument with one of the tenants over rent shortly before the fire broke out. The tenant alleged that the son came to collect rent but she refused to hand over the money, since she was unsure if he was authorized to collect the rent. It is alleged that the son then went into an unoccupied apartment on the top flat of the building. He allegedly spent close to 15 minutes in the apartment before he left ‘speedily’ in a car.

Not long after smoke was seen emanating from the building. But another tenant who was sitting in front of the building when the fire started has reportedly given another version of events to investigators. Nevertheless, both tenants and the suspect confirmed that the landlord’s son was at the building minutes before the fire started.

Investigators believe that based on the evidence gathered so far that a flammable liquid was used. They have also concluded that the fire started in same apartment that the man had allegedly entered. That apartment is said to be unoccupied. Kaieteur News was later informed by sources that there was an ongoing dispute among relatives over the property. The property was formerly owned by the detained man’s grandmother, who had passed away. Sources revealed that the rightful owner had left the detained man’s father (landlord) in charge of the property. Police confirmed this and other sources also said that the property’s insurance policy had expired in March.

(Kaieteur News)