A North Carolina man has been arrested for allegedly setting a woman, who police say lived with him, on fire.
Jami Raiziah Griffin, 23, of Sanford, was arrested on December 27, 11 days after the incident occurred on December 16... Continue reading here ▶
He is facing charges of felony attempted murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and misdemeanor assault on a female, according to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, as reported by local outlets.
The victim, 20-year-old Ashanti Downey, suffered third-degree burns on the right side of her body. Police say she was walking near Barbecue Church Road in Sanford when someone poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and remains stable.
Downey’s mother, Donecia Davis, expressed her devastation, saying, “How could they do this to my baby? You didn’t have to do this to her.” Davis has been by her daughter’s side at the hospital since the incident.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to help cover Downey’s medical expenses. Her mother shared that Ashanti was looking forward to celebrating her 21st birthday on January 1, but her life has now been forever changed. The fundraiser surpassed its $75,000 goal, raising over $88,000 from more than 2,000 donors as of December 28.
Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats described the incident as “a nightmare for this family” and initially suggested it might have been domestic-related or part of a gang initiation. Police say Griffin and Downey lived together at the time of the incident.
Griffin has been taken to the Harnett County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court on December 30. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the case.
