Man charged with setting fire to Elgin home

Authorities have charged a 43-year-old man with intentionally setting fire to an Elgin house in the 1100 block of Morton Avenue late Thursday night.

The Kane County State's Attorney's office has charged Marcos Hernandez with one count of aggravated arson with knowledge of people present, a felony.

Hernandez appeared in bond court Friday, where his bond was set at $250,000.

Authorities said Elgin police detectives learned from a female occupant of the house that she had a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, identified as Hernandez.

Authorities said Hernandez then intentionally set a fire in a second floor bedroom.

The woman and her three children were in the house when the fire was started but were able to exit without injuries.

Elgin police said Hernandez left the scene prior to police arriving and was found a short time later and taken into custody.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 11:38 p.m. that night, officials said.

Initial reports indicated a person may have been inside the structure, and firefighters saw fire through second-floor windows when arriving on the scene.

The fire was brought under control within 8 minutes, and a search of the home revealed no people were inside the structure, authorities said.

A family dog was found alive in the home and turned over to animal control.

The building suffered approximately $75,000 in damages, and was deemed unsafe, officials said.

No firefighters or civilians were injured in the blaze.