Arson suspected in Spanish Town courts office fire

Detectives from the St Catherine North Police Division are trying to determine who was behind the latest fire that scorched the Spanish Town courts office on Sunday.

Firefighters and the police were alerted to the fire about 7:32 a.m.

Arson is suspected.

Two units from the Spanish Town Fire Department contained the blaze, which was seen coming from the civil registry department, from which most of the clerks work.

Crime-scene detectives cordoned off the area after they discovered that a vault had been broken into and an undetermined amount of cash taken.

The police believe that the intruder(s) gained access to the building through a front door, broke into the vault, and then started the fire before escaping.

This is the second fire in two months at the same location. On June 14, fire of unknown origin destroyed a section of the courts office.

In the meantime, acting court administrator Ann Marie Cummins, when contacted, told The Gleaner that she would issue a statement to the media.

None was forthcoming up to press time.