A 58-year-old Santeria practitioner stands accused of being so mad at his mother for trashing ceremonial items that he set a fire in their home, a judge said.
LG, who was born in Colombia and lives in southern Miami-Dade County with his mother, appeared before Circuit Judge M G on Tuesday.
“He set a fire to a house that could have killed everybody,” G said about his mother and three brothers who were inside the home.
County court records show prosecutors filed a first-degree felony case on Tuesday against G for arson.
Inmate records show Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office correctional deputies booked G at about 7:50 p.m., on Monday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
According to the M-DCSO deputies’ arrest report, the conflict started when G’s mother woke up at about 2 a.m., on April 1, to a “strange sound” at their home’s back patio in The Hammocks neighborhood.
The mother reported that she saw G “hovering over a fire” coming from a cooking pan during a Santeria ritual, so she confronted him about not “starting more fires” and threw away some ceremonial items.
The mother reported ignoring G when he became “enraged” and “spent the next two hours destroying” his mother’s property, including “several thousands of collectible coins across the floor.”
As the situation worsened, G’s mother reported that she decided to call a son for help.
“A lot of paper was burnt and he barricaded himself in the room,” G said.
G’s brother reported he “smelled and saw smoke coming” from a bedroom, “saw that the smoke was rapidly increasing,” and heard G inside threatening to “throw fire” at anyone who went inside.
According to the arrest report, G’s brother was able to get inside and put out the fire and HCA Florida Kendall Hospital treated G for smoke inhalation and a cut to his hand on a piece of glass.
G denied bail bond and issued conditional stay-away orders related to his mother and three brothers.
Why Choose Ovadia Law Group: When you suffer a personal injury, the physical, emotional, and financial impacts can be overwhelming. Ovadia Law Group is committed to alleviating these burdens by providing top-notch legal representation. Our attorneys are well-versed in the complexities of personal injury litigation, from investigating the incident to negotiating with insurance companies. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay unless we win your case. This ensures that our interests are aligned with yours. For a free consultation, call us at 1-800-674-9396 and let us help you navigate this challenging time.
Source: local10
