Chicago woman gets 3 years for trying to burn down Waukegan house

A Chicago woman officials said was in a financial dispute with a Waukegan family was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday after admitting she tried to burn down the family's house.

Four people between the ages of 3 and 19 were in the house on the 100 block of Liberty Street when it was started on fire on Sept. 4.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Reginald Matthews said Arlicia Austin, 37, had recently been evicted from a residence near the family and was living on the 5000 block of Iowa Street in Chicago.

Austin believed that members of the family were stealing her belongings from the residence she had been evicted from, Matthews said.

On Sept. 4, a 15-year-old member of the family saw Austin walk to the side of their house, cut some wires on the side of the building, then walk to the back of the house.

When the girl walked to the back of her house, she discovered that a window in a bathroom had been opened and the bathroom was on fire.

The girl and her siblings ran from the house and were able to give police a description of a car they saw driving away.

Waukegan police stopped the car a short distance away and arrested Austin when they found lighter fluid, rags and matches in the car.

The fire caused some damage to the rear of the house, and some of the young people suffered minor smoke inhalation, Matthews said, but there were no serious injuries.

Austin was originally charged with aggravated arson, but Matthews said he agreed to reduce the charge to arson in exchange for the guilty plea.