By Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
HOME-MADE BOMBS, thrown by unknown assailants, destroyed a five bedroom dwelling house in Mt. Salem, Montego Bay, St. James, early yesterday morning, leaving a family of 17 homeless and over $1.5 million in damage.
According to Rosemarie Kelly, who jointly owned the house with Richard Rickettes, the family, consisting of nine adults and eight children, retired to bed shortly before midnight. About half-an-hour later, she said they detected a strong gasolene odour and then all hell broke loose.
"Bottle bombs started raining into the house and then the fire breakout and start to blaze," said a distraught Kelly. "We could not save anything as in confusion all we could think about was running to safety. One of my sons got burnt on his hand and on his back."
Ms. Kelly, who pointed to the remains of what she said were the bottle bombs as she spoke to The Gleaner, said several units from the Montego Bay Fire Department were early on the scene of the fire but despite their best efforts, the building was completely gutted, destroying all their belongings.
"The only thing we saved was the clothes we were wearing," said Mr. Rickettes, who pointed out several large dark streaks on the ground around the house, which he claimed was evidence that someone had poured gasolene in the vicinity of where the doors and windows once were.
DISPUTE A POSSIBLE REASON
In offering a reason why his family was attacked, Mr. Rickettes said the family was involved in a dispute with unnamed persons and the matter had just been resolved in the courts. He said he believed the torching of his house was as a result of that scenario.
When The Gleaner visited the scene shortly before midday yesterday, members of the family and other members of the community were seen milling around the scene, seemingly still in shock. The members of the family said they were in the process of trying to locate the councillor for the Mt. Salem Division, Gerald Mitchell, and Member of Parliament, Horace Chang, with a view to soliciting help from them.
"I am ready to bounce back and start over," a determined Mr. Rickettes said. "I am able to do both mason and carpenter work so once I get some help with material I will be able to help myself. It is hard but it is not the end of the world."
The Mt. Salem police, who are investigating, suspect arson.
