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Naperville man charged with setting off explosion at neighbor’s home

A Naperville man has been charged with setting off an explosive device at a neighbor’s front door, police said Friday.

Mark Hoen, 22, is accused of leaving the device — described in court records as an “aerial mortar firework” — outside a home on the 300 block of Prairie Knoll Drive.

Police said an explosion rocked the home about 3:30 a.m. Sept. 30, as a family slept inside. The blast caused no injuries but more than $500 damage to two doors at the front of the house.

According to police, Hoen lives on the 400 block of Prairie Knoll Drive, about a block from the scene of the explosion. He was identified as a suspect after police received a tip.

Sgt. Lou Cammiso said the explosive device was “about the size of a golf ball.” Whether it was homemade or a store-bought firework was unclear.

“Whatever it was, it was pretty powerful,” Cammiso said. “It did a lot of damage.”

A warrant for Hoen’s arrest was issued Tuesday following a four-month investigation by Naperville police. He surrendered Thursday and was released on a $1,000 bond.

Cammiso said authorities had not yet established “motive that we can prove.” The homeowner and defendant did not know each other, he said.

Hoen faces charges of residential arson and criminal damage to property. The most serious offense is typically punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Hoen appears to have no prior criminal history in DuPage County. His arraignment is Feb. 25 in front of Judge Blanche Hill Fawell.

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