Aurora teen damaged Kane County jail

An Aurora teen accused of setting fire to his 3-year-old niece was charged with an additional felony Monday for damaging a sprinkler in the Kane County jail, police said.

Raymundo Herrera, 17, of the 1200 block of Grove Street, was charged with criminal damage to government property, a Class 3 felony, and misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to firefighting equipment and disorderly conduct, court records show.

Sheriff's Lt. Pat Gengler said Herrera damaged a sprinkler head on Oct. 31, triggering a false fire alarm and flooding his two-person cell with water. Damage was estimated at more than $500.

"We got no indication from him as to why he did it," Gengler said. "He just did it."

Herrera has been in the county lockup in St. Charles on $3 million bond since he was charged Oct. 7 with attempted murder, heinous battery and other offenses.

Police say Herrera doused his 3-year-old niece in lighter fluid and lit her on fire Oct. 5 after she interrupted him as he listened to music in his bedroom. The incident left the toddler with third-degree burns covering 18 percent of her body, authorities said.

Gengler said Herrera has been on "red status" at the jail since shortly after his arrest, meaning authorities consider him "high-risk" and have limited his visitation and recreation privileges.

If convicted of the most serious offense, Herrera could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. His next court date is Dec. 11.