Destiny Waite allegedly set fire to her Hartford, Connecticut, apartment building on Monday using a “molotov cocktail” fueled by hand sanitizer.
The 28-year-old responded to a “domestic verbal and physical altercation” with her girlfriend by igniting a bottle of hand sanitizer and throwing it at her. The fire sparked by that bottle spread throughout the building, critically injuring four people — two adults and two children — and killing 50-year-old Jerome Kyser. Thirty residents were hospitalized.
The Hartford Fire Department responded within just one minute of the 1:22 a.m. emergency report, said Assistant Fire Chief Rodney Barco. When they arrived, building residents were already “hanging out the windows.” In less than five minutes, the blaze escalated to a three-alarm fire — meaning that at least three separate fire departments responded.
Responders then faced an almost impossible task. Amid reports of multiple people trapped inside, both the shape of the building and heavy smoke made “fighting the fire very difficult.”
In a statement posted to Facebook, Hartford 37th Fire Chief said:
This weekend, my firefighters responded to 4 different structure fires in a 3 day period. The last two fires were a 3-alarm and 2-alarm fire, respectively. At the 3-alarm fire on Charter Oak, a citizen lost his life. This fire has been deemed “arson” and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s surviving family members.
Upon arrival, HFD members encountered heavy fire and smoke conditions on multiple floors in the 5 story apartment building.
Due to the decisiveness, professionalism and courage of our Hartford Firefighters, over 40 people were rescued from this unique, “U” shaped building. Men, women and children are alive today because of the actions of our firefighters and I couldn’t be prouder.
On behalf of all HFD members, I wish a speedy recovery to all of the victims of this tragic incident. Your firefighters are and will always be here for you.
Waite has been charged with assault for each of the four critically injured residents, as well as Kyser’s murder. She is currently being held on a $1,000,000 bond. Her attorney, however, claims that Waite was not even in the building at the time of the fire and that her girlfriend is attempting to frame Waite for the crime.
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