A Highland Park man is being held in Lake County Jail after setting a fire to a Highland Park family’s garbage can then threatening to kidnap one of the victims unless he received $80,000.
Eduardo Aragon, 26, of Highland Park, was arrested and charged with a Class 2 felony count of Arson and six Class 3 felony counts of Intimidation following the incidents that took place over one week from April 28 and May 2. He is also charged with a Class 4 felony count of phone harassment, officials said
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Manuel Mandujano said in a weekend court appearance Sunday that the three Highland Park victims and family members awoke at 3:26 a.m. on April 28 to find their garbage can engulfed in flames on their property.
Paint supplies and other flammable substances had been placed in the garbage can before the fire was set, Mandujano said, causing a portion of the lawn and the garbage receptacle to be destroyed.
Later that day, the first victim received a text message from an unknown person who said he was part of the group that torched the garbage, and they would take the daughter and second victim hostage if the victims did not give the group $80,000, Mandujano said.
The next day, the second victim and daughter named in the threat received the same text about the fire and the abduction, Mandujano said.
On May 2, the third victim received a similar text, but the text added that the next fire would be set inside the home.
Highland Park Police traced the text messages back to the cell phone provider, which then traced back to an IP address for the wifi at the Highland Park Library, Mandujano said.
Surveillance video viewed by police showed Aragon entering the Highland Park Library three times in the moments before each text message was sent to the victims.
Police questioned Aragon on Saturday, and the Highland Park man confessed to starting the garbage can fire and threatening the victims, Mandujano said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a motion to detain Aragon until trial and Lake County Judge Christopher Morozin ordered Aragon held pending a detention hearing Monday afternoon.