Frederick Norman Olivera who lives at 89 Pitter Street was burnt out of his home on Sunday. He is 100% certain it is arson because he says he was threatened directly just a short time before. He says he was attending a funeral when some young men he claims had been harassing him started to rough up his nephew. He interceded and that’s when he claims they told him they would kill him and burn down his house – all this he claims right in front of a crowd of funeral goers. And they did burn down his house. An angry Olivera told us about it today.
Frederick Olivera, Victim of Arson
“When I was going home they were following me, telling me before the week done they will kill me and they will burn down my house. I went to Saturday night and Sunday morning when I went home, I saw my house burnt down to pieces. I went to the station, the police asked me if I am not tired of going there. I had to ask what else he wants me to do, if he wants me to go on the street and get killed or I kill somebody.”
Jules Vasquez,
So two things: you are one hundred percent sure these guys who have been harassing you burnt down your house?
Frederick Olivera,
“Boss for four years, two separate times they hold me up in my house
when they go and do their thing and they wanted. Two different times they did me that at gunpoint. Recently three weeks ago it happened and it happened like late last year before Christmas and police hold me and beat me bad. They came way to my job to beat me, they wanted to take me about three weeks ago because that man was in my house. I don’t send hail nobody in my house and I never called police for them. I put my key in my pocket and came to work.”
Jules Vasquez,
You’ve made multiple complaints?
Frederick Olivera,
“I’ve made over ten, fifteen complaints at CIB not police, at CIB I go.”
Jules Vasquez,
And has anyone been arrested?
Frederick Olivera,
“Nobody. Recently they sent one of them to jail who was harassing me for like five months straight until he came and chopped up my bike in his yard and almost killed me. I don’t know when they picked him up, I don’t have information on when he is going to court or nothing.”
Jules Vasquez,
So why are they harassing you like this?
Frederick Olivera,
“Boss I don’t know. They told me I recently moved back there and I can’t be living better than them. All I did from I was eleven years old, I live by myself and worked hard for what I own, hard. I just built my house which they burnt down. I just moved from Iguana Street and built my house back there because of them. Every month they thief your stove, they thief your TV, they thief your DVD. Boss if I go to the shop, I have to take my friggin TV out of my house and leave it at somebody’s house because they thief it. They stake you out.”
Jules Vasquez,
It sounds crazy.
Frederick Olivera,
“It sounds crazy but it is true, gyal and bwoy and all of those bwoys are listening to one young gyal and this gyal yah like…I don’t know mein serious.”
Jules Vasquez,
You lost everything in your home?
Frederick Olivera,
“Every single thing. This which I have on here is the last suit of clothes I have on. I don’t have anywhere to stay, I am staying on the street. The police haven’t dealt with them. If I meet anyone of them, it will be problem because they are people out to do me thing and they are threatening and threatening me and I am just tired of it. Straight and plain I am tired of this.”
Olivera works at the Special Education Unit and has asked for a few days off to find someplace to live.
