Elgin man accused of arson facing new charges

An Elgin man already accused of torching his parents' house while his 2-year-old son was strapped to a high chair inside, is back in trouble again.

James R. Beavers Jr., 31, now living in a homeless shelter, was in court Wednesday morning facing a laundry list of new charges that relate to harassment and driving violations that police say were committed a day after he was bailed out of jail.

At 2:45 a.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a home in the 600 block of Wing Street because Beavers had violated an of an order of protection against a 33-year-old Elgin woman, Deputy Police Chief Cecil Smith said.

He said that Beavers had gone to the woman's house uninvited, beat on her door and threatened her for two hours. The woman told police she was afraid because Beavers has said in the past that he would kill her.

Officers found Beavers asleep inside a parked car outside the woman's house.

They also discovered a large knife on the front seat of the car, as well as an open container of alcohol, Smith said.

Beavers smelled like alcohol and couldn't stand, so officers took him to the police station, where he was put in a padded cell because he became combative, Smith said.

Beavers has been charged with two counts of aggravated DUI, one count of aggravated driving with a revoked license, one count of telephone harassment, one count of electronic harassment and one count of violating an order of protection.

According to court records, Beavers was bailed out of the Kane County jail the day before his latest offenses.

His bond originally had been set at $100,000 in the arson case, and he had been locked up since November. He was arrested on charges he set fire to a first-floor bedroom at his parents' house on Elgin's west side.

Firefighters rescued his 2-year-old son, still strapped into his highchair, as the blaze tore through the home, leaving it uninhabitable.

In December, Kane County Judge Timothy Q. Shelton agreed to lower his bond to $50,000, which meant Beavers would need $5,000 to secure his release.

But when Beavers appeared in front of Sheldon to request his bond lowered a second time in February, the judge instead raised the amount to 10 percent of $75,000, after prosecutors outlined the seriousness of the charges, which include aggravated arson and resisting arrest.

Beavers has pleaded not guilty in the arson case.

He is due in court April 16 and the case is set for trial on April 26.

Meanwhile, Judge Bruce W. Lester set Beaver's bond at $100,000 on the new charges.

Beavers' next court date on the fresh charges is April 16 at the Kane County Judicial Center.

He was unable to post bond and remained in the Kane County lockup.

If found guilty of the most serious charge in the new case, Beavers could spend between one and three years in prison.

Daily Herald Staff Writer Josh Stockinger contributed to this report.