Nine-year-old, teen arrested in Fox River Grove arson, burglary

A nine-year-old boy and a 14 year-old boy were partners in crime during a Sunday rampage in Fox River Grove, police said Monday.

The Fox River Grove boys were arrested on charges today of residential arson, residential burglary, criminal damage to property and theft.

The pair - who are unrelated - confessed to setting two fires inside a home at 2202 Evergreen Ave., smashing computer monitors with a hammer, pouring red paint all over the walls and carpet and stealing property from the home, including a checkbook and camera, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren said.

The boys were practically caught red-handed.

It was the red paint all over their clothes that helped tie them to the crimes, said Nygren, who admits he's still baffled about the 9-year-old's involvement.

"I have a grandson who's 9. I'm going, 'Holy smokes,'" Nygren said. "You don't often have youngsters setting fires and burning a house down."

The 9-year-old's tender age will require State's Attorney Lou Bianchi's involvement to determine how or if he'll be charged, said Detective Rob Cadelman.

The teenager already has been charged in the crime spree, Cadelman said.

The lone occupant of the home wasn't around at the time of the 3:20 p.m. fire that took 10 minutes to control, said Lt. Eldee Jackson of the Fox River Grove Fire Department.

While no injuries were reported, the house was left uninhabitable with $125,000 worth of damage, Jackson said.

While the fire roared on, Nygren said the boys lied to witnesses about trying to get the three cats out of the house.

Firefighters rescued two cats but the third ran away and has not yet been found, Jackson said.

The children had initially gone to the house in search of money, Nygren said, and police do not know how they got inside or why they targeted that specific home.

A police probe into a possible link is ongoing, Nygren said, adding that the duo may have started the fires to cover up vandalism.

Police took the teenager to the Kane County Juvenile Detention Facility in St. Charles, while officers released 9-year-old to his parents.

"They're about to learn their lesson," Nygren said of the pair.