Victims pull man from burning Mayaro house – Suspected arsonist rescued

A 61-YEAR-OLD man who is suspected of setting fire to a house while a family of eight was asleep inside was later rescued from a fiery death as he was pulled out of the burning building by his would-be victims during the early morning hours on Monday.

While the Bahadoor family of Mafeking Village escaped death, two members – Amit Bahadoor, 33, and his sister Anisha, 34 – suffered burns.

Amit, who pulled the suspect from the burning house, was treated and discharged. His sister was still in hospital up to Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, who lives in the area, was detained and is being investigated for attempted murder, arson, and breach of a protection order.

“Thank God our lives were spared. We believe it is a miracle we are alive. We forgive him, but we will never forget. Our God is a forgiving God,” Amit said.

He added that he got a “haunting" wake-up call at around 2.40 am of his parents, two sisters, nephews and niece all screaming as fire rapidly engulfed the house. He recalled Anisha assumed someone was trying to break in, and when she looked through a bedroom window, she saw the suspect holding what looked like a gun.

Bahadoor said when the suspect saw Anisha looking through the window, he threw a flammable liquid and then a lighted object at her, setting her on fire.
Anisha's two children, four and nine, her 28-year-old sister and her sister's baby were also in that bedroom.

Amit’s parents Sharon, 52, and Peter Bahadoor, 71, were in another room.

The family managed to get out of the house before it was  engulfed in flames. Nothing was saved.

“The experience was terrifying and traumatising for everyone. It is a miracle that we are alive. I believe an angel saved us. The baby kept crying from 9 pm on Sunday and all into Monday,” Bahadoor said.

“She was waking us up every hour, so everyone was sleeping light. We might not have heard him (the suspect) if it was not for the baby. The baby and her mom...my sister were visiting for the long weekend.”

He said the suspect tried to drink some type of substance before making his way to the burning house. He fell and rolled into the house, but was pulled away from the flames and overpowered and the police were called.
Residents and relatives later found several bottles of kerosene around the house.

“I pulled him from the house because I wanted the police to arrest him. It was while pulling him out that some burning debris fell on my hands. I did not want the fire to kill him. He wanted me to leave him alone and let him go into the house. In about ten minutes, the entire house was destroyed,” Bahadoor said.

“My mother has an ongoing protection order against him for harassment.

"My parents worked very hard to build the house and take care of the family. We work very hard planting garden and selling fruits.”
Bahadoor said his parents had lived in the house for the past 34 years. It was renovated about four years ago.

Confirming that all of their possessions were destroyed along with the house, Bahadoor said  any Good Samaritan who is willing to help the family can donate via Amit Bahadoor's Republic Bank account: 470464365401.

Up to Monday afternoon, the suspect remained in custody. Mayaro police are investigating.

Editor's note: This is a follow-up to an earlier story published online, which can be read below.

An arsonist was rescued from the house he allegedly set on fire in an attempt to kill a family of eight, including a nine-month-old baby, early on Monday morning in Mayaro.

The Bahadoor family of Mafeking Village escaped death, and the suspect, who lives in the area, was detained.

Two relatives, Amit Bahadoor and his sister Anisha Bahadoor, suffered burns, and she was still in hospitalis on Tuesday.

Reports are around 2. 40 am on Monday, a sound awakened the family. Anisha assumed someone was trying to break into the house, and when she looked through the bedroom window, she saw the suspect.

When he saw her, he poured out a flammable liquid and then threw a lighted object.

Her sister, the baby, and two other children, four and nine, were in the room.

Her screams alerted her relatives, and they ran out of the burning house.

Amit saw the suspect trying to get into the house, and he rescued and held the suspect until the police arrived.