Reward offered for St. Charles arsonist

St. Charles police are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of an arsonist who set two fires early Monday on the city's east side.

The first fire was reported about 2 a.m. at a detached garage on the 0-100 block of South 9th Avenue. A short time later, another fire was reported outside a garage on the 100 block of South 10th Avenue. Both were extinguished without injuries.

Police also took reports of burglaries on the 300 block of South Sixth Avenue and the 100 block of South Seventh Avenue, and a smashed window on the 100 block of South Seventh Avenue about the same time.

"Officers checked the area and couldn't locate any other damage observable at this time," police spokesman Paul McCurtain said in a news release. "Evidence technicians processed the various crime scenes and evidence was located."

Any other residents who experienced trouble Monday are asked to call Detective Cmdr. Jerry Gatlin at (630) 443-3739 or Detective Dan Kuttner at (630) 443-3863. A reward of undetermined value is being offered for information that leads to an arrest, police said.