(Updated as of 01/10/2024 at 4:30 p.m.)
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Authorities made a second arrest in connection to a Dec. 16 incident which left a young woman fighting for her life. The mother of Jami Raiziah Griffin, who is facing charges for setting fire to Ashanti Downey, 21, has been charged for her role in the crime.
According to WRAL, on the evening of Monday, Dec. 16, authorities received a 911 call regarding a woman taken to Central Carolina Hospital in North Carolina suffering from severe burns. The victim was identified as Downey, whose injuries included second and third degree burns on the right side of her body.
Downey was set to celebrate her 21st birthday on New Year’s Day, but that all changed when she was brutally attacked and set on fire. “How could they do this to my baby?” Donecia Davis, Downey’s mother, said. “You didn’t have to do this to her.” Davis also said her daughter sustained burns on 70 percent of her body.
During an initial interview with police, Downey said she was walking towards a local Dollar General when someone allegedly came up behind her, poured gasoline on her, and set her on fire with a lit cigarette, according to WRAL.
Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats said the horrific incident is “one of the most heinous crimes” his department has ever handled, reports WRAL. During the investigation, authorities soon learned multiple suspects were involved in the attempted murder, according to WNCN.
North Carolina police arrested 23-year-old Griffin in connection with the incident. He is charged with felony attempted murder, felony assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill, and misdemeanor assault on a female, according to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
As the investigation continued, authorities also learned Griffin’s mother, Latonya Renee Murchison, was involved in the attack. According to ABC 11, Murchison was arrested on New Year’s Eve and charged with accessory after the fact.
Police say Griffin knew Downey before the attack and targeted her because of it. According to WNCN, Downey and Griffin were living together at the time of the incident. There have been no updates on the exact nature of the relationship between the two.
Sheriff Coats said the incident “could have been domestic-related,” or “it could have been a gang initiation.” He continued saying “We’re mystified by what’s happened.”
Since the tragic incident, Downey’s family have posted a GoFundMe page seeking assistance with Downey’s medical bills, surgeries, ongoing treatment, and rehab. As of Friday (Jan. 10), they’ve raised over $100,000 in donations.
A judge granted Griffin $1 million bond; his mother’s bond was set at $500,000. She’s expected to appear in court on Jan, 14.
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