Owner of Jamaican Me Crazy charged with arson, burglary

Nov, 24-2009 4:57 pm

By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer

SEA ISLE CITY – Steve Tyman, 51, owner of the Jamaican Me Crazy stores here and in Margate, was arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with aggravated arson and burglary.

Police said the charges resulted from an incident Nov. 22 that occurred at 4204 Landis Ave., where he rents a storefront from Joseph McCann.

According to Sea Isle City Detective Sgt. Kirk Roher, police responded to a report of the smell of smoke at 2:40 p.m. When officers arrived they found McCann’s son John and a volunteer firefighter carrying out a box that was on fire.

Roher said the officers and Joseph McCann headed to the top floor of the building to examine the area where the box had been found and discovered Tyman hiding behind a mattress.

Roher said in a phone interview Monday that Tyman confessed to starting the fire when the officers discovered him hiding. He was arrested by Sea Isle City Patrolman Jon Gansert.

“Apparently there were ongoing issues with owner McCann and Tyman,” Roher said. “Tyman accused McCann of not making proper repairs to the property, and they were trying to evict him. The issues with the owner culminated with this,” the detective said.

Tyman, who lives in Northfield, was charged and then transferred to the Cape May County Correctional Center at Crest Haven.

Judge Louis Belasco set bail at $50,000. Tyman was released after posting the cash bail.

On Monday his wife, Roz, contacted the Northfield Police Department to file a missing persons report.

Northfield Police Chief Robert James said Tyman was found Tuesday in Camden County. No other information was available at press time.

“There has been no overt threat by Mr. Tyman against himself or others,” James said Monday. “Based on the incident in Sea Isle, and his disappearance, procedure dictates that the missing person investigation be opened.”

He asked anyone who has information about the incident to contact with Tyman to contact the Northfield Police Department at (609) 641-3122.