A 21-year-old Beach Park man is facing charges of arson after intentionally setting his house on fire following an argument with his family on Thanksgiving, police said.
Erik J. Crump, 21, of the 40100 block of North Lone Oak Road, has been charged with a Class X felony count of Aggravated Arson and a Class 1 felony count of Residential Arson after setting his house on fire, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.
Covelli said the incident started when Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the home at 7:30 p.m. on November 27 for a non-violent, verbal domestic dispute between Crump and family members.
Family members were upset with Crump, claiming he was antagonizing and arguing with others, Covelli said.
Sheriff’s deputies were able to de-escalate the situation, Covelli said. He added Crump and others did not commit a crime, and he agreed to keep to himself for the remainder of the evening.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies were called back to the same residence at approximately 8:40 p.m. for reports that the home was on fire.
As firefighters arrived, they reported seeing a man matching Crump’s description, armed with a knife, standing on the side of the roadway about a block from the residence.
Crump ran from the scene, Covelli said.
Covelli said Crump was seen fleeing on foot from the fire, so sheriff’s deputies established a perimeter, and a sheriff’s canine team responded.
Canines tracked Crump’s scent to a dead-end in the roadway, indicating he left the area in a vehicle.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Department Chief Rocco Campanella said firefighters were called to the scene at 8:40 p.m. for a structure fire.
Upon arrival, crews observed heavy smoke coming from the structure, Campanella said.
Firefighters were then alerted that there was a possible suspect in the area who was armed with a gun, Campanella said. This resulted in a delay in fire suppression efforts to ensure scene security and protect firefighters, Campanella said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was able to secure the scene and confirmed the suspect was not in the general area, Campanella said.
Campanella said a working still alarm and a Mutual Aid Box Alarm were requested, bringing additional crews from across Lake County.
Due to the lack of fire hydrants in the immediate area, Campanella said an extended supply hose was laid to provide water to the scene.
Crews from Zion Fire Rescue Department, Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue, Beach Park Fire Department, Newport Township Fire Protection District, Antioch Fire Department, Gurnee Fire Department, Libertyville Fire Department, North Chicago Fire Department, Bristol Fire Department, Lake Forest Fire Department, Lake Zurich Fire Department, Salem Lakes Fire & Rescue, Somers Fire & Rescue, and Wauconda Fire Protection District assisted in extinguishing the fire.
Campanella said crews cleared the scene at approximately 2 a.m. Friday.
Sheriff’s deputies tracked Crump’s location to a storage facility in the 39400 block of North Lewis Avenue in Beach Park, where he was taken into custody without incident.
Further investigation by sheriff’s detectives determined that Crump was informed by his family after the earlier argument that he was going to be kicked out of his home, Covelli said.
Crump left the residence, Covelli said, but returned a short time later and went to his bedroom, near the garage, before leaving again.
Moments later, the family saw smoke filling the home and immediately evacuated.
Detectives concluded that Crump used an accelerant to set his room on fire before fleeing the residence again.
The home sustained major damage in the fire.
“It’s nothing short of a blessing that nobody was injured or killed in this senseless act,” said Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg. “While families across Lake County were sitting down for Thanksgiving, our dispatchers were answering the call, and our deputies were out responding to them.
Idleburg added, “Our team, along with our fire service partners, responded within minutes, secured the area, helped ensure the fire was extinguished, and took this individual into custody before anyone else was put at risk. I am incredibly proud of their professionalism and their commitment to keeping our community safe every hour of every day.”
Campanella said the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department would like to remind residents of the importance of regional mutual aid systems, adding that large or complex incidents can quickly overwhelm the resources of a single community.
Mutual aid allows neighboring fire departments to share personnel, equipment, and water supply so that fires can be controlled more safely and efficiently, while still ensuring that other emergency calls in the region continue to be covered.
This cooperation is a critical part of keeping all of our communities safe, he said.
After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the incident with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the arson charges against Crump, Covelli said.
Crump is due to be in First Appearance court today.