00:00While his siblings were able to escape through the brave actions of the oldest,
00:05young Jareem was not as fortunate. His mother, Janil George, tried desperately to save him,
00:12suffering burns in the process. However, the fire spread too quickly.
00:20According to police reports, at about 11.45pm on Thursday, Janil was at her home along Christian
00:26Avenue extension Aruka when she heard a commotion outside. She says she saw a man she knew
00:32attempting to break in through a window. He was holding a container, which she later learned
00:37was filled with gasoline. She says she attempted to prevent him from entering,
00:51however the man overpowered her and forced his way into the home.
00:55Janil ran to her relative's home next door, leaving behind her four children as she sought
01:00to get help. But by the time she ran back to her home, it was on fire. She recalls seeing her
01:16oldest child, a 14-year-old boy, pulling his two sisters, aged 11 and 9, out of the fire.
01:22But young Jareem was nowhere to be seen. She was stopped by her teenage son from
01:27re-entering the building as within moments, the building was consumed by fire.
01:53Appliances from the Tunapuna Fire Station, the Arema Fire Station and the Wrightson Road
02:05HQ responded. The house was completely destroyed. Young Jareem's body was found
02:10inside. A manhunt is now on for the suspected arsonist. Janil is now nursing burns to her face
02:17and back. During a press conference at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain today,
02:33Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Smith said that the officers were looking
02:38into allegations that domestic reports had been made against the suspect in the past.
02:43In the interim, he offered condolences to the George family
02:47and said that the police would be doing all that it can to bring the suspect to justice.
02:52We see this as a heinous crime and we would in fact deploy all our resources as it relates to
02:58solving this crime, going after the perpetrator and putting him where he's supposed to be.
03:01Alexander Brucewall, TV6 News.
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