GRANDFATHER ARRESTED IN 2 YO’S FIREY DEATH

Norman Stewart, otherwise called ‘Kiro’ and ‘Bush Doctor’, who was being sought by the Westmoreland Police in connection with the death of his two-year-old grandson Deandre Vanhorne, has turned himself in to the police. Deandre perished in a fire in Turo on Monday night.

The

Jamaica Observer West understands that up to late yesterday, Stewart, the common-law-husband of Sharon Deer, Deandre’s grandmother, was being questioned by the police. Stewart is the father of Deandre, as the infant’s mother Anna Kay Stewart. Reports from the Savanna-la-Mar Police are that the child was left in the care of Deer.

Residents told the Observer West that a fire was seen coming from a section of the house and the police were summoned. The Savanna-la-Mar Fire Department also responded and extinguished the fire. Later, Deandre’s charred remains were found. No official cause for the fire has yet been given but there are strong views that the fire was a case of arson.
The police later issued an appeal to the public for assistance in locating Stewart, whom they say might be able to assist with the investigation.

The incident has left the usually quiet deep-rural community of Turo in a state of shock and mourning.

When the

Observer West news team visited the community on Tuesday there was an outpouring of love from area residents for Deandre, even as they tried to come to grips with his untimely death.

“Well, this is a real tragedy in the community. Mi surprise when mi hear about what happened,” said a dreadlocked man.

An elderly female community member described the infant as a cheerful individual.

“He was so pretty. He was a pretty little boy. We sorry we could not help to get him out of the house, but the fire spread so fast and engulfed the house [that] no one could get in. Mi feel it bad,” she was overheard saying.

A visibly shaken Deer disclosed that the infant has been in her care since he was born.

She said when the fire was discovered she had to beat a hasty retreat from the three-apartment board house, leaving Deandre behind.

The distressed grandmother said it was at this point that an alarm was raised that there was a fire at her home, but “the fire spread through the house so rapidly, no one could go inside to rescue Deandre”.

Deandre’s mother, Annakay Stewart, said she is still finding it difficult to believe that her child had died under “such circumstances”.

“Mi cannot come to grips with this at all, mi a tell you the God truth, because mi not even know sey something like this would a go down,” said the teary-eyed Stewart.