Nevada man charged with setting fire to Rosemont Target store

A 56-year-old Nevada man faces an aggravated arson charge alleging he started a fire that caused $1.5 million in damages to the Target in Rosemont, leaving the store temporarily closed, officials said.

Denny Ellis was arrested on the felony charge Saturday after his vehicle was spotted through the use of license plate reading cameras in Elk Grove Village, police said. He appeared in court Sunday morning and remains in custody, authorities said.

Crews from the Rosemont Public Safety Department and other suburban agencies responded to the department store at 7000 Mannheim Road — across the street from the Allstate Arena — just before noon Thursday.

Employees tried to put out the fire, which originated in the diaper aisle, with an extinguisher. Multiple sprinkler heads in the ceiling also activated. Arriving fire crews then brought in hose lines to extinguish it, said Rosemont Lt. Joe Balogh.

Employees and shoppers exited the building on their own, and no major injuries were reported.

But the blaze caused extensive fire, water and smoke damage, which extended beyond the diaper aisle to most of the big box store.

Early damage estimates indicate a merchandise loss of at least $1.5 million, officials said.

The store remained closed Sunday due to the damage and cleanup taking place inside.

The criminal probe was led by arson investigators from Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Division 20; Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Rosemont detectives. Target’s asset protection department also quickly identified a suspect and officials disseminated the information to surrounding jurisdictions.