Accused Elgin arsonist was on probation for 2014 fire
A 26-year-old homeless woman was on probation for a felony arson offense from December 2014 when she was charged with setting a fire that damaged air conditioning unit and stairwell in early August in downtown Elgin, records show.
Stephanie Swon appeared in Kane County court Wednesday and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted, according to court records.
Swon was charged with setting a fire Aug. 5 on the 0-99 block of South Douglas Avenue.
Swon said she was angry at her boyfriend and set the fire, according to police. No one was injured in the fire.
According to court records, Swon was on 24 months of probation after pleading guilty in April to setting fire to three plastic trash cans near the downtown Elgin parking deck on the 0-99 block of Symphony Way. She also served 135 days in jail and was ordered to pay $9,834, including $8,704.63 restitution for the Dec. 4, 2014 offense, records show.
Prosecutors had filed paperwork for a probation violation stemming from Swon's May 2015 arrest on misdemeanor domestic battery charges.
She also was arrested in November 2014 and June 2015 and charged with misdemeanor trespassing for going into a convenience store at 10 S. State St., Elgin, records show. Swon is next due in court Aug. 27.
She was being held at the Kane County jail on $75,000 bail, meaning she must post $7,500 to be released while the case is pending. Swon also faces up to seven years in prison for the probation violation on the December 2014 offense.