15-year-old boy disguised himself, broke into recreation facility and set fire in office: prosecutors

VILLA PARK, Ill. - A 15-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly setting a fire at a recreation facility. 

The Villa Park juvenile faces one felony count of arson, one felony count of burglary, one felony count of criminal damage to government-supported property and one misdemeanor count of obstructing a police officer. 

At about 12:46 a.m. on Wednesday, Villa Park police officers responded to the Jefferson Pool, a Villa Park recreation facility at 341 N. Harvard Ave., after a surveillance camera captured an individual, later identified as the teen, allegedly swinging an object at the window.

When officers arrived, they set up a perimeter around the building and observed the glow of a fire. The juvenile, who was wearing a black hoodie, a face covering and had applied black paint to his face, was also seen inside the building, prosecutors said. 

Upon entry into the building, officers found the juvenile hiding inside a locked bathroom stall. The juvenile was also allegedly in possession of a lighter and had a backpack that contained a hammer, a hatchet, a pry bar, three pairs of scissors, tin snips and a small dumbbell with rope tied to it. 

Following an investigation, officers learned that the juvenile used the dumbbell with the rope to break a window and gain access to the building.

Once inside the building, the juvenile set fire to a desk, which damaged the desk, a computer keyboard, paper and the carpet. The juvenile was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody at that time.

While being escorted out to the squad car, the juvenile allegedly attempted to pull and run away from officers, but was unsuccessful. 

"The allegations that a fifteen-year-old boy disguised himself and broke into a popular government-owned facility and set fire to a desk and office equipment are extremely disturbing," Berlin said. "Thankfully, Villa Park authorities were alerted to the situation very early before the fire had a chance to spread and possibly cause extensive damage to the facility."

On Wednesday, a judge ordered that the juvenile be detained until at least his next court appearance, which is scheduled for July 29.