A fire tore through Dan's Autobody and Towing in Mascoutah before dawn earlier this week, leveling the building and destroying two customer vehicles inside. Within hours, deputies were called to a second, stranger scene across the county — and by October 22, a 19-year-old Mascoutah man faced seven criminal counts tied to both incidents.
Elijah R. Thomas was charged with four Class 2 felony counts of arson, one Class 2 felony count of burglary and two Class A misdemeanor obstruction counts, according to Country Herald. The charges were filed October 22 by St. Clair County State's Attorney James A. Gomric, as reported by Herald Publications. An arrest warrant was issued, and the sheriff's office reported Thomas was taken into custody, per Country Herald's reporting.
Fire Leaves Auto Shop a Total Loss
Deputies responded to the shop at 10201 Illinois State Route 177 around 2:21 a.m. on October 20, Country Herald reports; First Alert 4 says the fire was around 2:20 a.m. Investigators found the building was a total loss, with two customer vehicles stored inside also destroyed, according to the Herald Publications report. Those vehicles were identified as a Ford Fusion and a Kia Sportage, per Country Herald.
Deputies canvassed the area and recovered surveillance footage from nearby businesses during the investigation, Herald Publications notes. The Illinois State Fire Marshal also responded and assisted the sheriff's office investigation division, according to a report from Yahoo News.
A Peanut Butter Jar and a 500-Degree Oven
Hours later, around 11:34 a.m. the same day, deputies responded to a reported burglary in progress at the Shiloh Valley Township Office at 1370 Shiloh Station Road in Belleville, Country Herald reports. Inside, investigators found a plastic jar of peanut butter sitting inside a kitchen oven set to 500 degrees. The $300 appliance was destroyed, though the oven caused smoke and an odor throughout the building rather than a larger fire, and cabinets mounted above it could have caught fire at a higher temperature, per the same account.
During that second incident, Thomas reportedly walked into the road and did not listen to commands from deputies, according to First Alert 4. Deputies took him into custody after backup units arrived, the station reports.
Charges Still Presumed, Case Still Open
Thomas is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, Country Herald notes. No information on a conviction, plea, bond amount or upcoming court date has been made public in connection with the case so far.
