A man from North Carolina has been arrested for allegedly setting a woman on fire. The suspect, Jami Raiziah Griffin, 23, from Sanford, was taken into custody on December 27, nearly two weeks after the incident occurred on December 16.
Griffin faces several serious charges, including felony attempted murder, felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and misdemeanor assault on a female, as confirmed by the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim, Ashanti Downey, who is 20 years old, suffered severe injuries, including third-degree burns on the right side of her body. Authorities report that she was walking near Barbecue Church Road in Sanford when someone poured gasoline on her and set her ablaze.
Downey’s mother, Donecia Davis, expressed her disbelief about what happened to her daughter, saying, “How could they do this to my baby?” She is making it her priority to be with Ashanti in the hospital during her recovery.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to cover Downey’s medical expenses. Initially set with a goal of $75,000, it has now raised over $88,000 from more than 2,000 donors. In her appeal, Davis noted that Ashanti was about to celebrate her 21st birthday on January 1, highlighting the gravity of the situation, saying “her life will be forever changed.”
Before the arrest, Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats described the incident as a “nightmare for this family,” suggesting it might be connected to domestic issues. Reports initially indicated that multiple individuals could have been involved, and Coats mentioned that it could have even been a gang-related act.
Currently, Griffin is being held at the Harnett County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court on December 30. Meanwhile, Downey remains in critical but stable condition following her treatment.
