McHenry men charged in arson

Police say they have linked two McHenry men to a Molotov cocktail thrown through a McHenry auto shop's window early Saturday morning.

A patrol officer found Charles A. Campo, 25, of the 1000 block of North Green Street and Thomas P. Fleming, 52, of the 1400 block of North Millstream Drive in possession of two unused Molotov cocktails at 12:41 a.m. Saturday, police announced Tuesday.

Later that morning, police responded to the Car-X shop at 4705 W. Elm St. and found that a Molotov cocktail had been lit and thrown through a window of the business.

Police said they discovered evidence at the scene linking the homemade device to Fleming and Campo.

Fleming has been charges with unlawful use of a weapon, arson and possession of incendiary devices. Campo was charged with unlawful use of a weapon.

Police said they were able to link one of the men to the business but would not elaborate on the relationship.

The fire inside the auto shop caused more than $1,000 in damage, mainly to hydraulic lines in the shop's floor, said McHenry police Detective Sgt. John Birk.

The two men were pulled over early Saturday after a patrol officer was suspicious of their vehicle, which was in a parking lot with all the businesses closed, Birk said.

When the officer approached the vehicle, he noticed the passenger door open and saw one of the men put something on the ground, Birk said.

When the officer turned around to enter the lot, the vehicle did a U-turn. The approaching officer then spotted the two Molotov cocktails and took Campo into custody while Fleming was taken to an area hospital for a medical problem unrelated to the incident, according to police.

The location where the men were pulled over was on the same block as the shop that was damaged.

The investigation is ongoing and further charges are possible against Campo and Fleming, police said.