Former employee charged in Rosemont car dealer arson
A former employee has been charged with arson after a gasoline-fueled fire July 24 at a Rosemont auto dealer damaged several vehicles.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court states Bryant Cameron, 28, of Broadview, is charged with one count of arson. A detention hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday in Chicago.
Cameron is accused of pouring gasoline in the front office, reception and warehouse areas of Epic Motorsports, 9739 Farragut St., according to a news release from the U.S. attorneys office.
Federal prosecutors say he set the fire with embers from his cigarette and that surveillance video shows him getting into a car and driving away at 7:39 p.m. as smoke and fire become visible under a roll-up door at the dealership.
Rosemont Public Safety Department firefighters arrived on the scene at 7:49 p.m., and firefighters from five towns helped extinguish the blaze, according to the criminal complaint.
Aside from the damaged cars, Epic Motorsports reported tools and office equipment were damaged and that two televisions and four computers were missing, according to the complaint.
Contacted Wednesday, an employee at Epic Motorsports said the company has no further comment.
Cameron was arrested July 27. Authorities found two TVs, two computer keyboards and other computer parts in his car, the complaint states.
Cameron, whose job had been cleaning and moving cars, later confirmed he poured gasoline through the building, lit the fire and took the TVs and computers, according to the criminal complaint. He could not be reached for comment.