A Manteno man, Hunter Lauridsen, 23, is facing charges of attempted residential arson and endangering a child's life or health, according to officials from the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department. A report by WGNTV details that deputies responded to an alleged arson in progress early Tuesday morning at a rural mobile home park in Manteno.
Upon arrival around 12:30 a.m., a witness described seeing a suspicious vehicle parked by the entrance of the park, from which, after turning off its lights, an individual was seen attempting to extinguish a fire near one of the homes. Following this, the truck fled the scene, as noted by FOX 32 Chicago. In a home that was the target of the intended arson, the mother of Lauridsen's unborn child and her two-year-old son lived.
Subsequently, Kankakee County Sheriff's deputies identified and arrested Lauridsen at his own home. He is currently being held at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee, although the date for his court appearance remains unclear.
Describing the nature of the charges Lauridsen faces, Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said, "The reckless and malicious actions alleged in this case could have easily resulted in a tragic loss of innocent life," in a statement obtained by WGNTV. Sheriff Downey further expressed relief that the incident did not result in injuries and emphasized the department's commitment to protect families from such dangerous acts.
