A self-admitted arsonist was ordered detained until trial after prosecutors say he lit a Thanksgiving Day fire that engulfed his family’s home in Beach Park while they were still inside after a dispute over his dog.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:30 p.m. Thursday to the 40100 block of North Lone Oak Road in Beach Park for a report of a non-violent, verbal domestic dispute at a residence.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said family members were upset with Erik J. Crump, 21, who lives in the home, because he was antagonizing and arguing with others at the residence.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and were able to de-escalate the situation.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Windmoeller said the argument was over a Pitbull that Crump brought home two days prior.
The rest of the family did not want the dog to remain in the home, prompting them to tell Crump that they wanted him to move out over the dog, along with his behavior and him not paying rent.
No one committed a crime and Crump agreed to keep to himself for the remainder of the evening, Covelli said, adding that deputies then left the scene.
The sheriff’s office and the Winthrop Harbor Fire Department were dispatched to the same residence around 8:40 p.m. that same evening for reports of a house fire.
Firefighters arrived and reported seeing a man, who matched Crump’s description, armed with a knife and standing on the side of the roadway a block from the residence before fleeing, Covelli said.
Sheriff’s deputies established a perimeter and a sheriff’s canine team responded and tracked Crump’s scent to a dead-end in the roadway, indicating he left the area in a vehicle.
Covelli said deputies were able to track Crump’s location to a storage facility in the 39400 block of North Lewis Avenue in Beach Park. He was taken into custody without incident.
A further investigation by sheriff’s detectives determined that Crump was informed by his family that he was going to be kicked out of his home after the earlier argument.
Crump left the residence but returned a short time later and went to his bedroom, which is near the garage, before leaving again, Covelli said.
The family saw smoke filling the home moments later and immediately evacuated.
Detectives concluded that Crump used an accelerant to set his room on fire before fleeing the residence again.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Department Chief Rocco Campanella said crews observed heavy smoke coming from the structure.
The report of an armed subject in the area delayed fire suppression efforts to ensure scene security and protect firefighters, Campanella said.
Campanella said a Working Still Alarm and the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System were requested, bringing additional fire crews from across Lake County.
An extended supply hose was laid to provide water to the scene due to a lack of nearby fire hydrants.
The 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 District assisted.
The home sustained major damage in the fire and firefighters left the scene by 2 a.m. Friday.
“It’s nothing short of a blessing that nobody was injured or killed in this senseless act. While families across Lake County were sitting down for Thanksgiving, our dispatchers were answering the call, and our deputies were out responding to them,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“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,” Idleburg said.
Crump told deputies that he was in a “rage” while packing his stuff up to leave when he saw a gasoline can sitting on the porch and “decided to do what he did,” Windmoeller said.
Crump grabbed the gasoline can, poured gasoline all over his room and then set it on fire even though he knew all of the family members were likely still in the home, Windmoeller said.
Crump said he did not warn the family members or check on them after lighting the fire, which he started because he hates his family and wanted to show them that “[he] wasn’t a b–ch,” Windmoeller said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of aggravated arson, a Class X felony, and residential arson, a Class 1 felony, against Crump.
He was transported to the Lake County Jail and appeared for a detention hearing on Monday afternoon.
“Turning to the factors for dangerousness that this is a crime of violence and the defendant employed a destructive and dangerous method that could have resulted in the deaths or at least the serious injury of all the victims,” Windmoeller said.
“The defendant’s cavalier attitude towards his actions and complete lack of concern for the victims’ wellbeing show a callousness that should deeply concern the court. The defendant does not have a background, but due to his extremely illogical response to a verbal argument, the court should be reticent about what else he would possibly do to the victims or others in the community if released,” Windmoeller said.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition during the detention hearing. Crump is scheduled to appear in court again on December 23 for a preliminary hearing.