Pregnant woman burns lover's house

Cengkareng police in West Jakarta have arrested a 22-year-old pregnant woman believed to have set fire to the house of her boyfriend and his mother.

The suspect, identified only as Sar, an employee of a plastic producing firm, was nabbed an hour after setting the fire, which damaged only part of the house in Kapuk area.

Sar told the police that she was quite upset with Damanhuri, 26, who she said paid little attention to her during their three- year love affair and, especially, her two months of pregnancy.

She said that she had given Rp 80,000 (US$36) to Damanhuri to immediately process all documents required for their marriage. Unfortunately, the unemployed lover spent the money without her knowledge.

Pregnancy without formal marriage is illegal in this country.

On Tuesday evening, Sar again went to her lover's house to ask him to be responsible for his past actions, but she found nobody home, except Damanhuri's mother, who she thought had tried to hide her son.

Weary of facing the two, Sar bought kerosene and a match on her way home and returned to set fire to the house with her mother-in-law to be inside.

The plan backfired when old woman saw the fire from a window and screamed for help. (bsr)