WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Westmoreland police are reporting that charges will be laid against a mother who is alleged to have set her house on fire, leaving her eight-year-old son dead at their Top Lincoln, Grange Hill home in the parish.

The charred remains of the boy, who police identified as Ramiel Richards, were found among the rubbles following a cooling down operation.

On Thursday, Observer Online police sources said the boy’s mother will be charged.

The mother remains in custody.

The incident which happened on Friday night has sent shockwaves across the community of Top Lincoln, in Grange Hill, and the wider Westmoreland.

When asked to confirm that the mother might have suffered from a mental meltdown, the police said they have heard the rumours.

However, the police sources noted that it is for the court to determine whether the mother is mentally fit following a psychiatric evaluation.

Richards was a student of Peggy Barry primary school in the parish.

Reports from the Morgan’s Bridge police are that about 11:40 pm, Richards was alone in the house when it caught on fire. It is alleged that the boy’s mother, who was outside, raised an alarm and the fire department was summoned.

READ: 8-y-o boy dies in fire, mother in custody

After a cooling down operation by the firefighters, the lifeless body of the boy was seen lying on the ground.

He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. His mother was taken into custody.

The burnt out house where 8-year-old Ramiel Richards perished on Friday night.

Meanwhile, speaking with Observer Online, Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Morland Wilson expressed alarm at the number of people losing their lives in house fires in the parish.

“We’ve seen over the past year going into two years where youngsters should have lost their lives to house fires and it shows a trend and [that is] a concern,” Wilson said.

He is recommending that more training be done in schools to educate youngsters on safety measures in the event of a fire.

“We have a lot of youngsters who are losing their lives to [house fires] and it may require additional training in schools for these youngsters… to improve their chances of surviving a fire,” he stressed.

— Kimberley Peddie