Deep-in-debt baker charged with burning Schenectady building

This from the Albany Times Union

The co-owner of a Guyanese restaurant was deep in debt and behind on her taxes when she deliberately set fire to the business in hopes of collecting on an insurance policy, according to a prosecutor and court papers.

An indictment was handed up Thursday to Visiting County Judge James A. Murphy III charging Zabeeda Permaul, 54, with first- and second-degree arson and two counts of second-degree insurance fraud, all felonies.
A woman who lived in an upstairs apartment at 1414 State St. had to be rescued by firefighters and was hospitalized with smoke inhalation as a result of the Feb. 22 fire. Permaul operated Charlie’s West Indian Bakery & Restaurant on the first floor of the building and lived in a second apartment upstairs…”

They give Guyanese a bad name

This was a desperate move by the women and goes to show when nearing debt you need to try and fix the problem or close the business, otherwise the mind can be stressed and decide to do anything to get money. I wonder how much she would of gotten if the insurance had been paid out as, what if she got into debt again and then would of turned to crime, to get money and end up in jail and the family must be upset she has done this. I think this can be a problem when running a business as you have to rely on customers and when it declines, then it is best to shut it and move on to some other work in life to survive in this world.