Trevor Jameer, a 51-year-old cattle farmer of Hopetown, West Coast Berbice (WCB), was set on fire by a fellow villager for allegedly being a Police informant.
The incident occurred at about 07:30h on Friday at a shop along the West Berbice Public Road.
Reports are that Jameer and his cousin were imbibing at the shop when the suspect, identified as ‘Smokey,’ rode up on a bicycle and said, “I hear you talking my name, that you going to buss my head.” Police said Jameer responded, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
The suspect told Jameer to wait, that he would return, and left on the bicycle. About 20 minutes later, the suspect returned with a piece of wood with fire on it and a container with a liquid substance suspected to be gasoline.
The suspect threw the liquid on the victim, put the fire stick toward him, and set him on fire. Jameer’s body became engulfed in flames, and the suspect fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.
The victim threw himself on the ground and rolled around several times, which caused the fire to extinguish. The victim’s cousin stopped a passing Police vehicle, PAC 5268, which transported him to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital.
He was transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was admitted as a patient. The victim received burns on his right shoulder, arm, and leg. His condition is regarded as stable. Police are hunting for the suspect as investigations continue.
