Phuket Media Watch – Man confesses to setting elderly woman on fire
– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community
A 47-year-old man has confessed to killing an elderly woman by setting her on fire in a New York City elevator during the weekend, local media reported on Monday.
Jerome Issac turned himself in to police on Sunday and confessed to having set 73-year-old General Post Office worker Deloris Gillespie on fire because she allegedly owed him $US 2,100 for previous work, police told the New York Post on Monday.
According to reports, Issac waited for Gillespie at her building in the New York City borough of Brooklyn at around 4 p.m. local time on Saturday afternoon. When the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor, he sprayed flammable liquid before lighting her with a barbecue lighter and hurling a lit Molotov cocktail at the screaming victim.
Gillespie crouched down but was unable to fight off the attack, according to police, and Issac eventually sprayed more liquid which killed her. The brutal murder was caught on tape by two cameras.
After the attack, Issac fled to his nearby apartment, which he also tried to set ablaze, although he was only able to damage the door frame. He went on to the roof of the building to hide, as he thought he had already been identified as the killer. He fell asleep and later turned himself in at around 12.30 a.m. local time.
Relatives have claimed that Issac stole several items, including a DVD player and kitchenware, from Gillespie, who had hired him for several odd jobs. Because of these alleged thefts, the victim had refused to pay him.
As a result, family members and neighbors allege that Issac terrorized and harassed Gillespie constantly. He followed his victim, who was extremely scared of him, and cursed at her. He had been seen in front of the building several times.
The Phuket Gazette recently reported another incident where a New York woman was crushed to death by an elevator in a building on Madison Avenue.
— Phuket Gazette Editors
