Felony charges have been filed against a suspect who prosecutors say intentionally set his mother’s car on fire, engulfing it, before engaging in an armed standoff with first responders near Harvard.
Aidan M. O’Donoghue, 24, of Harvard, was charged with one count of arson, a Class 2 felony.
The Harvard Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:30 p.m. on October 13 to the 6500 block of Oak Grove Road in unincorporated Harvard for a report of a vehicle fire.
Firefighters were en route when they were informed that a male subject was attempting to light a vehicle on fire, according to Harvard Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.
The 911 caller also reported that the suspect, later identified as O’Donoghue, was still on the property but his whereabouts were unknown.
Responding firefighters reported seeing thick black smoke visible from a distance, Vucha said.
Firefighters arrived and found a red Toyota Corolla fully engulfed in flames parked near a house.
Crews quickly confirmed that no one was inside the vehicle and extinguished the fire within approximately 10 minutes.
Prosecutors said video footage captured O’Donoghue unlocking the Toyota and entering the driver’s side door before shortly walking to the other side of the car.
Small flames became visible through the windshield by the steering wheel where O’Donoghue had just been, the video showed.
The owner of the vehicle, O’Donoghue’s mother, attempted to extinguish the fire but was unsuccessful, prosecutors. The car eventually became fully engulfed in flames.
Vucha said firefighters were wrapping up operations after extinguishing the blaze when the suspect returned to the property and deputies engaged the individual.
Fire personnel were moved to a safe location while law enforcement addressed the situation.
Emergency backup was requested and additional sheriff’s deputies, the Harvard Police Department and McHenry County Conservation Police responded.
O’Donoghue was armed with a large hunting knife and refused commands to drop the knife, prosecutors said.
Officers attempted negotiations for a period of time before they were eventually able to subdue O’Donoghue and take him into custody, prosecutors said.
The sheriff’s office issued an alert asking people to avoid the area of Oak Grove Road and Ramer Road due to the heavy police activity.
Fire crews returned to gather equipment and clear the scene once the scene was secured, Vucha said.
The man was transported to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and was transferred to the McHenry County Jail on Wednesday.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain O’Donoghue pending trial, calling him a real and present danger to the community.
O’Donoghue has a prior felony conviction for stabbing his father in Marengo in August 2021.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the petition during an Initial Appearance Court hearing.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said following the hearing that she wishes to commend the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and the Harvard Fire Protection District for their “swift actions in controlling the fire and apprehending O’Donoghue.”