Judge: Man was targeting woman in Carpentersville apartment fire
The Indiana man accused of setting a Carpentersville apartment building on fire in November acted in jealousy, a judge said at the man’s first Kane County court hearing Tuesday.
Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo ordered Garland McGhee III, 30, of the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Street in Gary, Indiana, be held in the Kane County jail while awaiting trial.
McGhee is charged with aggravated arson, residential arson, arson to real and personal property and criminal damage with fire or explosives. He was arrested Jan. 12 in Indiana and agreed on Jan. 16 to be extradited to Illinois.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. Nov. 29 on the 100 block of Meadowdale Court. The 24-unit building was destroyed. There were no major injuries, but one person suffered smoke inhalation.
LoPiccolo said a police synopsis submitted to him stated that McGhee was dating a woman who lived in the building. He had texted her that night asking to come to her place, but she replied she was out with a friend.
According to LoPiccolo, the synopsis stated that a landscaping rock was used to break a patio door to get into her apartment, and that the state fire marshal has determined a fire was set in a bin of clothing in a bedroom of the woman’s apartment.
Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Anderson said records of McGhee’s cellphone show it was in the area at the time of the fire.
McGhee was driven to the apartment by another man, authorities said. According to LoPiccolo, the man told police that McGhee had threatened to blame him for the fire if he said anything to them.
“It is clear the target of this fire was (the woman), her apartment,” LoPiccolo said. “This was all set in to place because the defendant wanted to see her that night, and she wasn't there.
“On top of it, this defendant has total disregard for the other occupants in the other 23 units of the building,” the judge added. “That's what makes him a danger to the community.”
LoPiccolo also noted that McGhee is on parole in Indiana for shooting into a residential building.
McGhee’s next court date is Jan. 28.