The investigation into an arson attack at a home in Santa Flora is now a homicide case as one of two children burnt in the fire, nine-month-old Kyle Jacob, has died.
Baby Kyle, who suffered third degree burns to 50 per cent of her frail body, succumbed to her injuries around 4.15 pm at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital.
Her mother, Malicha Thomas, who had been at her side since she was hospitalised, was with her when she took her last breath.
Her older brother, Keimel, four, who also suffered burns when arsonists set fire to their three-bedroom wooden home at S.T.O.L Road, Palo Seco, is in a stable condition at the same institution.
In confirming the death, a traumatised Kezie Jacob, sister of the children’s father, Keino Jacob, said they were in the CNC3 car park in Port-of-Spain, having gone to the station, seeking some justice for the tragedy from Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne, when they got the news.
“Oh my God, only today the fire people came and told us that it was arson, that it was a hand that light the fire from the window,” she wept uncontrollably.
Kezie, who had driven herself and her mother, Ann Marie Jacob, to Port-of-Spain, said: “I cannot drive the car right now. My brother is coming to meet us. We need to get to Malicha. We need to reach her right now. She needs us.”
Ann Marie, the children’s grandmother, also attempted to speak to the T&T Guardian but was overcome by tears. However, she managed to question what type of person would deliberately set fire to a home with two children.
“How could people be so heartless?” she moaned.
Last Wednesday, the children were taking an afternoon nap when tragedy struck.
Their father told the T&T Guardian their mother had just given them a bath and put them to sleep while he was helping his father, Peter, build a kennel at his house nearby.
He said she later came over and asked him to keep an ear out for Kyle as she too was going to bathe.
But Jacob said minutes after that his father told him he had heard Kyle (pronounced Kyla) screaming and when he (Keino) looked over at their house it was on fire.
Keino ran into the house, grabbed his son and ran outside, then went back into the burning house for Kyle.