Teenager sets fire to grandma's home

JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police detectives arrested a teenager on Saturday for allegedly setting fire to a house belonging to his grandmother in Ulujami, Kebayoran Lama, after she refused to buy a motorcycle for him.

Kebayoran Lama Police chief of detectives First Lt. Ayep said Fahrizal, 18, admitted the wrongdoing.

The suspect, Ayep said, had been demanding a motorcycle from his 60-year-old grandmother, Tarnah, for the past six months.

"Fahrizal said he was angry and frustrated," Ayep told reporters.

Fire engines from the fire department arrived in time to put out the fire. Police arrived shortly after and arrested Fahrizal after he confessed to the crime.

Quoting Tarnah, Ayep said that she refused to buy the motorcycle because she had bought him one previously.

"But Fahrizal instead pawned the first motorcycle for money. He got his grandmother to pay the pawn store to get back the motorcycle. But then he sold it," Ayep said.

Fahrizal poured kerosene on the floor of the house in front of his grandmother.

"The suspect just lit a match and threw it on the ground," Ayep said.

When the fire became a blaze, Tarnah immediately asked neighbors to call the fire department, while Fahrizal tried to put out the fire by fetching buckets of water, Ayep said. (ylt)