Man 21, Accused of Setting House on Fire Following Thanksgiving Argument with His Family

An Illinois man has been accused of setting his family’s house on fire shortly after a Thanksgiving argument, according to authorities.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said in a Nov. 28 news release that deputies were first called around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27, to a home in the 40100 block of North Lone Oak Road in Beach Park for what was described as a “non-violent, verbal domestic dispute.”

Relatives were reportedly upset with 21-year-old Erik J. Crump, who investigators say had been “antagonizing and arguing” with others in the residence. Deputies arrived and were able to calm things down.

According to the sheriff’s office, no crime had been committed at that time, and Crump agreed to stay to himself for the rest of the evening.

About an hour later, around 8:40 p.m., deputies were dispatched back to the address — this time for a report that the house was on fire. When firefighters arrived, they reported seeing a man matching Crump’s description standing by the roadside about a block away, armed with a knife, the LCSO said.

The man ran off, and deputies set up a perimeter. A sheriff’s K-9 team tracked his scent to a dead end, leading investigators to believe he left the area in a vehicle, according to the release.

Deputies later traced Crump to a storage facility in the 39400 block of North Lewis Avenue in Beach Park, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Detectives determined that, after the earlier argument, Crump had been told by family members that he would be kicked out of the home. He left but soon returned, went into his bedroom near the garage, and then left again, investigators said.

Moments later, relatives saw smoke spreading through the house and evacuated immediately. Detectives concluded that Crump had used an accelerant to ignite his bedroom before fleeing the property a second time, according to the sheriff’s office.

The fire caused “major damage” to the home, but no injuries were reported.

Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in the news release that it was extremely fortunate no one was hurt or killed, calling the incident a “senseless act.” He noted that while families were gathered for Thanksgiving, dispatchers, deputies and fire crews were working, responding within minutes, securing the scene, helping to extinguish the fire and taking the suspect into custody before anyone else was endangered.

Crump has been charged with aggravated arson, a Class X felony, and residential arson, a Class 1 felony. He appeared in court on Friday, Nov. 28.

During the hearing, Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd told the judge that the argument on Thanksgiving allegedly started over a dog. Shepherd said the dispute escalated, and Crump is accused of pouring gasoline in the home and setting it on fire, according to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner.

Shepherd also told the court that Crump allegedly said he chose to act as he did and expressed little concern for his family’s safety or well-being, the outlet reported.

Crump is scheduled to return to court on Monday, Dec. 1, for a detention hearing.