Crime & Safety
Arson Fire Started With Fireworks In Oak Forest: Police
Police said a man poured a liquid on fireworks and then placed them near a home, lighting grass and shrubs on fire.
OAK FOREST, IL — A Chicago man is facing an arson charge after authorities say he poured liquid on fireworks and placed the fireworks near a home, causing grass and shrubs near the house to catch on fire early Sunday in Oak Forest.
Oak Forest police responded to a call reporting a possible house fire around 3:30 a.m. Sunday in the 4400 block of Adele Lane. Callers told police a man poured the liquid substance on the fireworks, put them near the home, and then left the scene on foot.
Police said an officer in the area saw a man walking around Fieldcrest Drive and determined he was the person who started the fire on Adele Lane.
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The man, identified as 38-year-old Israel Vargas of Chicago, was taken into custody.
He is charged with one count of attempted aggravated arson and one count of possession of explosives or explosive or incendiary devices.
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Police told Patch that the fire in the grass and shrubs around the home was quickly extinguished, and the home itself was not damaged.
Editor's note: Updated after police issued a clarification that grass and shrubs near the home, and not the home itself, caught on fire.
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