Man killed in blaze started by thrown hand-sanitizer bottle: Police

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC) -- Hartford police said a suspect in a fatal fire threw a lit bottle of hand sanitizer at her girlfriend that started the blaze Sunday morning, March 8.

Hartford Police Lt. Paul Cicero said: "There was a domestic, verbal and physical altercation. The suspect assaulted her girlfriend by throwing a hand sanitizer bottle that was lit on fire at her girlfriend, at which point the fire spread throughout the building."

The office of the Chief State's Medical Examiner said the victim, Jerome Kyser, 50, died of smoke inhalation and ruled the death a homicide.

Destiny Waite, 28, was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail Monday afternoon on charges that include felony murder, attempted murder, first-degree arson and four counts of first-degree assault, the Hartford Courant reports.

The five-story building at Charter Oak Place went up in flames Sunday morning, trapping residents. More than 70 firefighters rescued more than 40 people from the building.

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• Police: Deadly Hartford blaze sparked by woman who hurled flaming hand sanitizer at girlfriend - Hartford Courant