BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jan Weaver has been a resident of Buffalo her entire life. When she awoke to flames engulfing her home, she was distraught.
Weaver and her son, Lorenzo, who is 20 years old, were victims of domestic abuse that escalated to arson and resulted in $60,000 in damage to their house.
Buffalo Police arrested Weaver's ex-boyfriend, Scott Sinwell. He has been charged with arson and is being held without bail. Police say Sinwell has two pending criminal cases that he committed while pending sentencing in another domestic violence-related criminal case.
"He started my house on fire with my son in it," Weaver said. "[He] tried to kill my son."
Weaver says her ex-boyfriend set the home on fire in a fit of rage which left the home uninhabitable. Her son Lorenzo's room was completely destroyed, and he lost some of his cherished possessions.
"When I was younger, I would see them and be like, I don't know what to do, " Lorenzo said. "At the end of the day, if that's your mom ... you got to do what you got to do," he added.
Fortunately, Weaver and her kids have found shelter at the home of Weaver's mother. But Weaver worries about her future if Sinwell gets out of jail.
Back on Sept. 4, 2022, Sinwell violated a restraining order Weaver obtained against him. On Oct. 25, 2022, Sinwell knowingly violated that order by repeatedly calling Weaver and leaving her messages.
At one point, Sinwell broke into Weaver's home. He was arrested and charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal contempt, one count of second-degree aggravated harassment, and three other misdemeanors.
Prosecutors requested that Sinwell be remanded and kept in jail until his trial. Bail was set at $100,000. He pleaded guilty to several charges and was sentenced to one year in jail, but Sinwell was released for time served on May 25 of this year. The fire that destroyed Weaver's home was set June 2.
2 On Your Side spoke with Ava Thomas, an employee with the Family Justice Center here in Buffalo, who said what happened to Weaver is a microcosm of a bigger problem.
According to Thomas, there have been 23 domestic violence incidents involving arson since the start of the year. Data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence suggests 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse, and Thomas said the numbers are rising in Erie County.
"We saw an increase in the amount of clients that we were providing services to," Thomas said. "Abusers were able to perpetrate their abuse completely and 100% on their victim. They were at home, not leaving, not going anywhere."
Thomas attributed the rise in domestic abuse cases to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time abuse victims had nowhere to go. It was abuser and abusee stuck together according to Thomas.
Another reason cases are rising Thomas said had to do with the change of season and warmer weather.
"Generally, when the weather gets warm, when we come off a cold season, that can sometimes increase physical abuse," Thomas said. "There's more drinking, parties, and that can really escalate some incidents."
Whatever the cause, Thomas says something needs to change. On a typical day, more than 20,000 calls are placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.
Here is a list of resources domestic abuse victims can reach out to for support.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 (800) 799-7233
- Family Justice Center-Erie County: (716) 558-7233
- Child and Family Services-Erie County: (716) 842-2750