An Illinois man was arrested after allegedly returning to his family’s home on Thanksgiving and intentionally setting it on fire following a heated argument.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Erik J. Crump, 21, now faces charges of aggravated arson and residential arson.
Deputies were first called to the Beach Park residence around 7:30 p.m. Thursday for a dispute.
Family members told deputies Crump had been antagonizing others in the home.
However, officers determined no that crime had occurred.
Deputies deescalated the situation, and Crump agreed to stay away for the rest of the evening.
An hour later, deputies were called back, this time for a house fire.
Firefighters arriving on scene saw a man matching Crump’s description standing near the roadway with a knife before he fled.
Deputies set up a perimeter, and a sheriff’s K9 tracked Crump’s scent to a dead end.
Officers were led to believe he had escaped in a vehicle.
Crump was later located at a storage facility on North Lewis Avenue.
He was taken into custody without incident.
According to detectives, Crump had been told after the earlier argument that he would be kicked out of the home.
He allegedly returned, used an accelerant to ignite his bedroom, and fled as the fire spread through the house.
The fire quickly spread, causing significant damage.
The family reportedly noticed smoke filling the home and evacuated immediately.
Sheriff John D. Idleburg said it was remarkable that no one was hurt.
“It’s nothing short of a blessing that nobody was injured or killed in this senseless act,” Idleburg said.
“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 praised the rapid response of deputies and firefighters.
“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,” he added.
“I am incredibly proud of their professionalism and their commitment to keeping our community safe every hour of every day.”
After reviewing the case, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the arson charges.
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