Woman Set Ablaze, Two Shot Over Rent

A rent dispute in a slum in the nation’s capital ended with a landlord dragging a tenant onto the front lawn of the house he owned and setting her ablaze after shooting her mother and sister, police said Friday.

The landlord, identified as Francois Bourgeau, 48, of Mount Rainier, Md., was arrested on the scene and charged with first-degree murder.

Police and witnesses said they heard several shots fired inside the home owned by Bourgeau and rented by Darrenna Shelton, 25.

Witnesses said they then saw a man armed with a shotgun drag Shelton onto a front lawn and set her on fire. It was not clear whether she died as a result of the flames or gunshot wounds, police said.

“I came up to the intersection and I heard some shots. I saw some tall guy with a hat on his head pull a woman outside. Then he poured gasoline on her and burned her up,” neighbor Andre Roberson said.

“When police arrived, she was still in flames,” he said.

Shelton’s mother and sister were both shot inside the house, police said. One of the wounded women flagged down a passing police officer. The other wounded woman was found inside.

Shelton’s sister, Sabrina, 28, died in surgery several hours later from wounds to the abdomen and chest, police said. Her mother, Gloria Shelton, 54, was treated and released from Washington Hospital Center with a gunshot wound in her right side, a hospital spokesman said.

The mother and sister did not live in the house.

Witnesses reported seeing the suspect douse Shelton with gasoline, but others said she was covered with gas before she was dragged out of the house.