Gurnee cops nab arson suspect, credit witness
Gurnee police say an alert school employee’s information led to a woman being charged in an arson this week on the village’s east side.
It’s the second time in less than a month Gurnee authorities credit a witness for helping them make an arrest.
Susan Horsting, 49, of the 900 block of Waveland Avenue in Gurnee, intentionally set fire to parked vehicle early Tuesday in the 700 block of Belle Plaine Avenue, police said. She was charged with one count of arson.
Horsting started the fire a little after midnight, but it burned slowly until it was discovered and reported about 6 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Police said they recovered evidence and a suspect description.
At 11:41 a.m. Wednesday, police said, an employee at Spaulding School on the 2000 block of Belle Plaine summoned help after noticing a woman acting suspiciously near the building’s property.
Officers who responded to the call from Spaulding School were given a description of the man, police said. They said it matched the description provided in Tuesday’s arson case, which led them to Horsting.
Interim Police Chief Kevin Woodside praised the quick action of the school employee.
“This is yet another example of how the public partnering with police can and does lead to solving crime,” Woodside said. “A call to police about what could be seen by some as a minor issue has once again resulted in a felony arrest for a serious crime.”
On Sept. 14, a witness saw a man inside a garage on the 600 block of Angelo Avenue removing items and called Gurnee police to provide a description of the man and his vehicle, along with a license-plate number.
Later in the day, another home burglary was reported to have occurred on the 4400 block of Cornell Avenue.
Gurnee police said the witness’s information led them to work with Park City police for the eventual arrest of Christopher B. Augustus, 51. Augustus was charged with two counts of felony residential burglary and one count of felony theft.
Woodside credited the witness for providing quality information and said the burglary case might not have been solved as quickly without the help.