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Off-duty Carpentersville cop recognized for quick action

Carpentersville Police Officer Eric Holzer was loading groceries into his car on a Sunday, off duty, when he saw one man being chased by another through the parking lot.

The chaser yelled he needed help because the first man had just thrown a fire bomb into the store and tried to kill the people inside.

“All I heard was him saying he tried to hurt people so I just went over,” Holzer said. “I didn’t even really think about it.”

It was about noon on Aug. 21 at Joseph Caputo and Sons Fresh Market in Algonquin. Holzer helped restrain the man until Algonquin police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stepped in.

He was recognized by Carpentersville village board members at their Tuesday night meeting for his actions.

Village President Ed Ritter told the audience Holzer was involved in one of the most sensational things to happen in the area in quite a while. He read a short statement detailing Holzer’s actions that day.

Police Chief David Neumann wrote a board report leading up to the recognition ceremony but could not attend the meeting.

“The Carpentersville Police Department would like to recognize Officer Eric Holzer for his quick response in aiding with the apprehension of an extremely dangerous individual who might have otherwise escaped the scene of a potentially tragic situation,” Neumann said in the memo.

Holzer started out as a part-time community service officer with the Carpentersville Police Department in 2005. He joined as a sworn police officer in 2007.

Fabian J. Torres, 24, of Sleepy Hollow, is being held on $2 million bail on a charge of aggravated arson. He faces up to 30 years in prison for the highest class felony.

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