Woman convicted of starting building fire
An Antioch woman was ordered to spend 18 months in jail when not working or attending counseling Tuesday after she admitted trying to burn down her apartment building.
Lisa Hurmis 45, stood by her plea of not guilty to the charge of attempted residential arson, but conceded there was enough evidence to convict her.
Lake County Circuit Judge George Bridges agreed with Hurmis' assessment of the case and convicted her of the charge.
Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Marykay Foy said Hurmis rented one of two apartments over a business at 931 Main St., in downtown Antioch.
Hurmis was upset over a collection of boxes outside the building that she believed could block her escape in case of an emergency, Foy said, and decided to conduct a practical demonstration on Feb. 21.
She started a fire in her own apartment, then lunged at firefighter Bryan Mesinger with a paring knife when he entered the apartment to rescue her.
Mesinger, who was uninjured, quickly disarmed Hurmis and carried her out of the building.
She was charged with aggravated assault for the attack on Mesinger, but Foy agreed to drop that charge in exchange to Hurmis' plea to the more serious offense.
Associate Judge Christopher Stride also ordered Hurmis to spend two years on probation and perform 150 hours of community service.