As living expenditures rise, opting to live in an apartment or house with roommates may seem like the most cost-effective choice because such arrangements are predicated on the idea that each person will bear a significantly lower share of the costs. However, choosing this choice might be challenging and have its own set of drawbacks. This is especially true when personalities clash and shared spaces like the kitchen or bathroom are used. Every roommate would always do their fair part of chores, talk to the other roommates before making choices or inviting visitors, and pay their fair share of the bills on time in an ideal world. Sadly, that does not always happen. We present you with 5 angry People who set their roommates on fire.
In this list, you will read about 5 roommates who could not seem to settle their disputes by reasonable means, and rather than simply communicating or choosing to move out, they opted to—quite literally—fight fire with fire.
5 angry People who set their roommates on fire
1- Melissa Dawn Sellers
Melissa Dawn Sellers, age 33, moved in with her boyfriend Carlos Ortiz Jr., age 42 after she was fired from her job at Wal-Mart and forced out of her home. But on October 22, 2014, early in the morning, after the two had been drinking, a fight broke out between the housemates in Clearwater, Florida. Due to Ortiz’s disposal of Sellers’ remaining spaghetti and meatballs, who was upset about it, sought retaliation while inebriated. She started by burning minor, unimportant things on fire as retaliation, but things quickly got worse when she made the decision to douse Ortiz in nail paint remover and set him ablaze.
Ines Causevic, one of Ortiz’s acquaintances, who was in the flat at the time of the argument, doused Ortiz with water to put out the fire and then tore off his shirt. Unfortunately, Ortiz’s face appeared to be melting off by the time he was able to stand up. After sustaining burns to his face, chest, and shoulders, Ortiz was sent to the hospital in critical condition. The sellers admitted to aggravated battery and received a 66-month prison term while still on probation for a prior battery incident.
2- Khane Jones
Khane Jones, 27, lived in an apartment in Watertown, New York, together with three other people: Tina Guildoo, 47, her brother John Guildoo, 48, and Joshua Jones, Khane’s son, 27. Khane and Joshua were friends, not related, which makes Jones’s mysterious behavior all the more perplexing. On the morning of February 28, 2022, Jones doused Joshua in petrol, set him ablaze, and then fled the house while he was still dozing on the couch. The flat was ultimately destroyed by the fire.
Joshua had serious burns covering more than 80% of his body, while Tina and John required medical attention for burns and smoke inhalation. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but his injuries led to his death on March 20, 2022. After Joshua died, Jones was charged with second-degree murder in addition to the original charges of first-degree arson and first-degree assault.
3- Lawrence Sedillo
On September 24, 2021, Lawrence Sedillo, 39, and Renee Benally, 42, got into a disagreement about money and finances in their Albuquerque, New Mexico, home. As they argued, Sedillo allegedly experienced voices in his brain, and “something came over him,” causing him to go outside, grab a can of gasoline, and spray Benally with it. Sedillo also asserted that he passed out and the next thing he remembered was witnessing Benally rolling around on fire. Witnesses claimed they witnessed Sedillo following Benally about with a petrol can while yelling profanities, despite the fact that Sedillo claimed he tried to remove her burning shirt and assist in putting out the fire.
A neighbor called for assistance after Benally came over, asking for help and wanting to take a shower because her skin was hot and peeling off.
Benally was transferred to a burn center in Lubbock, Texas, but died on September 29, 2021. Sedillo is still in custody and has been charged with murder.
4- Chasety Reynolds
Chasety Reynolds, 32, and Victoria De La Fuente, 46, lived together in the same house in Lemoore, California. On September 2, 2011, in the late hours, police were called to the house because of a disturbance. While the two women reassured the officers that everything was fine, it would only be a short while until things went tragically wrong. Reynolds doused De La Fuente in petrol and lit her on fire with a lighter 45 minutes after the cops had left their home. Reynolds sat in the driveway and watched as De La Fuente burned on the garage floor without even a hint of regret for her flatmate. Fortunately, a passing motorist stopped to put out the fire until emergency personnel could arrive.
De La Fuente managed to survive the horrifying experience, but Reynolds’ malice caused her to require 20 operations, endure burns on more than half of her body, and lose her right eye. Reynolds received a 12- to life sentence after being found guilty of first-degree attempted murder and aggravated mayhem with grave bodily harm.
5- Randy Barr
In Scranton, Pennsylvania, Randy Barr, 44, and Marianne Krug, 44, shared a bedroom. On January 21, 2010, after Barr claimed Krug threatened to poison his dog, they got into a fight. While Krug was watching TV, in a fit of rage, Barr decided to pour lighter fluid on her. He then flicked a lit match at her, setting her ablaze. Barr was accused of severe assault and arson, and Krug was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
