Men accused of setting off fire extinguisher at Libertyville Metra station charged

Two 20-year-old men who police say activated a fire extinguisher inside the Libertyville Metra station in December are now charged with criminal damage to property and could face fines.

Daniel Cordova, of Mundelein, and Alex Kadziola, of Grayslake, turned themselves in to police this month and were released after paying $164 in cash and signing personal recognizance bonds.

On Dec. 13, Libertyville police arrived at the train station, 200 Lake St., to find that much of the interior and several bystanders were covered in powder from a discharged fire extinguisher.

"I don't think they pulled it off the wall, but they were able to get the pin pulled off it and activated it," Sgt. Jason Kapusinski said Monday. "With the force at which it came out to the extinguisher, it sent the powder fire suppressor all over the building."

Kapusinski said the village had to hire a company to clean up the material. He said he did not know the cost of the damage or the cleanup.

Investigators don't believe the men were trying to spray the extinguisher anywhere in particular, he said, but authorities think they were engaged in horseplay or shenanigans.

"I don't know if alcohol was involved," Kapusinski said.

Cordova and Kadziola left the scene before police arrived, Kapusinski said. Investigators used surveillance camera footage to determine they were the ones who activated the fire extinguisher, he added.

Kapusinski said the reason there was such a gap in time between when the extinguisher went off and when the men turned themselves in March 4 was because the detective who was handling the case was on leave due to the birth of his child.

Cordova and Kadziola are set to appear at the Mundelein branch court on April 4.