Antioch Township man held in firebomb attack

An Antioch Township man was ordered held on $100,000 bond Saturday after officials said he threw a firebomb at a man he had been arguing with at a bar.

Michael Roman, 35, is charged with aggravated battery in the attack police said happened about 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ken Lorenz said Roman, of the 27000 block of West Grass Lake Road, got into an argument in an Antioch bar with the victim.

The victim and a friend left the bar and were walking home, Lorenz said, when Roman came up from behind them with a bottle filled with gasoline, a hammer and a screwdriver.

"The defendant lit a rag that was stuffed into the bottle and threw it at the victim," Lorenz said. "The bottle hit the victim in the face, bounced off and fell to the ground where it burst into flames."

Roman then slashed the victim with the screwdriver, Lorenz said, leaving a gash in the victim's side.

Lake County sheriff's police arrested Roman after an investigation in which the victim's friend and evidence collected at the scene corroborated the victim's story.

Associate Judge Margaret Marcouiller set the bond and ordered Roman to have no contact with the victim if he is able to post the $10,000 in cash needed to free himself from jail.

Roman is scheduled to appear in court again Sept. 27, and Lorenz said he faces up to five years in prison if convicted.