Brooklyn Elevator Death – Insanity At Its Worst

Over this past weekend a friend of mine asked me had I heard of the bizarre story coming out of Brooklyn, NY. I replied No, because after all this is upstate New York. She then went on to explain to me the story about a man impersonating an exterminator, who had set an elderly woman on fire and burned her alive, all in the elevator of a Brooklyn Apartment building.

I could not believe it, but after taking to the internet, I saw the story on CNN.com. Apparently on Saturday, December 18th a 73 year old woman was returning home to her apartment in Prospect Heights. A man dressed in dark blue clothes, white gloves, with a dust mask on his head and carrying a container on his back waited for this woman on the fifth floor of her apartment building.

Once reaching the fifth floor where her apartment was, the man sprayed this woman with an unidentified liquid, presumed to be gasoline, as she tried to exit. He then took a Molotov cocktail and lit her on fire. Neighbors said they heard screams and saw smoke and went knocking on others door, telling them to get out because they were indeed having a fire. They realized that someone was on fire inside of the elevator and alerted the authorities. Once authorities arrived, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jerome Isaac, The man who later turned himself in as the suspect in the case, fled while the apartment building surveillance took photos of him. The photos were released to the public as the search for this impersonator began.

Once in questioning, Jerome admitted to police the woman owed him 2,000 for odd jobs he had performed for her in her apartment. She had recently learned of Isaac stealing from her and had refused to pay him. This was the motive for his acts.

Nowadays you never know what someone is thinking or capable of. To think a woman lost her life tragically over 2,000 shows that money indeed plays a major part in the violence occurring today. The sad part is I have heard stories of people losing their life over less.

Jerome Isaac was charged with first degree murder and arson. A memorial and candle light vigil was held on the stoop of the apartment building, for Delores Gillespie, the woman who was burned alive in this cruel act of violence.