A North Carolina man has been arrested for allegedly setting a woman on fire.
The suspect, 23-year-old Jami Raiziah Griffin of Sanford, was taken into custody 11 days after the incident, which occurred on December 16... Continue reading here ▶
He faces charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and misdemeanor assault on a female, according to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim, 20-year-old Ashanti Downey, suffered third-degree burns on the right side of her body after being doused with gasoline and set on fire while walking near Barbecue Church Road in Sanford. She was rushed to the hospital and remains in critical but stable condition.
Downey’s mother, Donecia Davis, expressed her shock and heartbreak over what happened to her daughter. “How could they do this to my baby?” she told WRAL-TV. Davis has stayed by her daughter’s side in the hospital and set up a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses. Downey was preparing to celebrate her 21st birthday on January 1 when the attack occurred.
The fundraiser has surpassed its $75,000 goal, raising over $88,000 from more than 2,000 donors as of December 28. Davis thanked supporters, saying, “No parent should have to see their child in the condition my daughter is in.”
Before the arrest, Sheriff Wayne Coats described the situation as a “nightmare for this family” and said the incident might have been domestic-related. Initially, investigators considered the possibility of multiple people being involved, suggesting it could have been a gang initiation, but later determined Griffin and Downey were living together at the time of the attack.
Griffin is currently in custody at the Harnett County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court on December 30.
