Medford Man Faces Charges After Attempted Suicide

– Allison Goldsberry

A Medford man is facing charges after injuring himself in an intentionally set blaze that displaced dozens of people in Roxbury early Monday morning.

Boston Police say Mohamed Abdul Jabar, 28, could face arson and attempted murder charges for intentionally setting a fire in a Westminster Avenue apartment building in a failed suicide attempt. According to police Jabar walked into Boston Medical Center with severe burns and was later transferred to the burn unit at Mass General Hospital. He is being treated in the intensive care unit for second degree burns to his arms, hands, and face. His injuries are non-life threatening.

According to published and radio reports, the six-alarm fire destroyed the apartment building, injured fourteen people, and displaced everyone living in the building’s dozens of apartments. All of the residents were evacuated safely and some had to be rescued by firefighters.

A man who knew Jabar told Boston.com he “didn’t look good” in recent weeks and “had a lot of problems,” including no job and no money.

Police say Jabar didn’t live in the Roxbury apartment building and might have been in a relative’s apartment.