Jerome Isaac, Who Allegedly Burned Deloris Gillespie to Death in Her Elevator, Pleads Not Guilty

Yesterday Jerome Isaac was arraigned on murder charges in Brooklyn Supreme Court for the death of 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie, who, in December, he allegedly sprayed with flammable liquid and set on fire in her elevator in Prospect Heights. He was caught on video doing all of this, which led rather quickly to police finding him. Of course, he also burned half of his face in the awful act, and, oh yes, he turned himself in to cops. But, apparently, he forgot that part because at his arraignment he announced, "If the video wasn't there, you would still be looking for me."

And if he hadn't committed a heinous crime, perhaps he wouldn't have been arrested, and if he hadn't nearly burned his own face off, perhaps he wouldn't have those scars.

Though he's pleaded not guilty, Isaac said in a statement that his beef was about money: Gillespie "owed me some money for some work I did for her. I told her to give me $300. I was cleaning up her apartment for about four or five months and she never paid me."

Via the New York Post:

Later, he identified himself for detectives: "That is me on the video and the picture; I ain't denying that is me."

Isaac is being held without bail. The Daily News reports that his lawyer Howard Tanner "has yet to ask for psychiatric evaluations to determine if Isaac is fit for trial or can claim insanity. But he reserved the right to do that in the future."

Elevator torcher's boast [NYP]
Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Elevator Torching Death [NBC NY]

Related: Councilwoman Letitia James: Family of Elderly Woman Burned Alive Have Been Victimized Twice

[JDoll / @thisisjendoll]

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