A 29-year-old woman and her three-year-old son died in a fire that destroyed their home at David James Scheme, Essequibo Coast, on Monday morning.
Police have arrested the woman’s common-law partner as investigations continue. The victims have been identified as Donette Albert, a housewife, and her son, Keron Latchman.
According to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the fire occurred around 7:20 a.m. and destroyed the family’s single-storey wooden residence.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Albert and her 31-year-old partner, a welder, had reportedly argued earlier that morning.
Police said the man told investigators that he subsequently went downstairs and, shortly afterwards, noticed the house engulfed in flames. He claimed that he tried to re-enter the building to rescue Albert and their son but was prevented by the intensity of the blaze.
Firefighters responded and extinguished the fire. The remains of Albert and the child were subsequently found inside the building.
Their bodies were taken to Charity Hospital, where a doctor certified them dead, before being transferred to the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary to await post-mortem examinations.
The woman’s partner remains in police custody assisting with the investigation.
