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There have been two fires in Belize City and one on the Burrell Boom Road in the last 24 hours. This comes after the Fire Department went on an all out media blitz on last night’s news – warning people of fire hazards during the Christmas season. But their warnings could not have stopped any of these fires; it appears that two of them were arson and the other happened in an abandoned house. We start on Vernon Street in Belize City where a small snack shop was burnt down. It was no major structure but what’s worrying is that the fire-starters apparently burnt the building to send a message to an alleged gun-man’s mother. Jacqueline Godwin found out more.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The saying goes ‘if they can’t ketch Harry they ketch he shirt’ and that seems to be the case of Muriel Jones the mother of Edwin “Drive” Flowers who is one of five persons arrested for the murder of Randy Coye. Sometime around ten on Tuesday night a person or persons deliberately set on fire the food shack owned by Muriel Jones. Luckily the blaze did not destroy her stove and gas tank items that would have been difficult to replace.

Muriel Jones, Food Shack Owner
“And when I reached out here I meet the police, fire engine and everybody and when we came the man from the fire place says it looks like they set the place on fire because the place was stink of lone kerosene oil and when we went to the back there, the fire started from the back and we had a hole like top there and it looked they threw the oil from there inside because nothing isn’t burnt. The stove nuh burnt, the tank nuh ketch or nothing just the floor and the curtain and thing. It looked like when they threw the thing in it blazed up and catch everything.”

As Muriel Jones quickly got help to replace the burn plywood from the ten by ten structure to get back in business for Thursday it is just one more scary reminder that whoever started the fire did it out of retaliation. The son Edwin Flowers is no stranger to police. Prior to his arrest in October for the Randy Coye’s murder, in 2007 he was accused but never convicted for the double homicide of twenty four year old Keeva Leslie and thirty two year old Dorlan Michael. Muriel Jones says shortly after her son’s release they received a threatening note but she is not certain if that is connected to last night’s fire.

Muriel Jones,
“I would want to know the same thing Jackie because this shop serves everybody. People could come here with a dollar and still get something to eat.

I will tell you the truth because when my son first went to jail for murder they shoved a letter under the door and told him that who will watch his mom back now, who will watch his mom’s shop and when he walked off of it, I said I don’t know what to do.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“And he is also now being held for another homicide.”

Muriel Jones,
“Another murder so we don’t know what to do because the shop has been here over 12 years. They have broken in here so much time and every time I call the police they tell me I don’t need no help because my son can thief more for me. So I don’t know what to do Jackie, I just lost. I just have to tek the licking, do what I have to do and start over again. That’s all I have to do, start over again. I can’t make no noise because I don’t know who did it. And if it is somebody paid them to burn it down, then when I am out here at four o’clock one of these mornings, who knows what they will do to me. Who knows what they will do? I don’t have anyone at my side, see where my son is. So I can’t say nothing, I have to lie low.”

Kenneth Mortis, Training Officer – National Fire Service
“The fire was again we believe to be intentionally set. After the extinguishment and the investigation commenced we observed the heavy smell of kerosene in the area so we have concluded that somebody deliberately set the place ablaze.”

Muriel Jones says despite all the threats her food shack will continue to serve the public from where it has been for over a decade on west canal just off of the Vernon Street Bridge.

Muriel Jones,
“They cannot keep me down Jackie. As I explained to some people, I been through everything and you interview me with everything. Death, you see me cry, you see me laugh, and now you see me the cry again. As I explained to everybody the good Lord only gives you so much and when he see you can’t take it, he either takes you home or makes you stronger; one out of the two.”

So far no one has been detained. Jacqueline Godwin for 7News.