Aurora man charged with setting explosion, harassing witness
An Aurora man is being held at Kane County jail on charges he set an explosion at the home of a victim of an earlier crime in which he is accused.
Marco A. Arenas, 46, of the 1000 block of Elliott Avenue, was charged Thursday in July 27 explosion on the 1700 block of Kenilworth Place.
He has been accused of being an armed habitual criminal, residential arson, possession of explosives, harassing a witness or their families, possession of firearm by a felon, unlawful use or possession of a weapon, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to land, and violation of a bail bond. All are felony charges.
Arenas also faces a battery of charges in an earlier attack at the same location, after which he was ordered to avoid contact with two people who lived there.
Aurora police say one of the two people reported being harassed and threatened by a phone caller on July 18.
On July 27, an explosion shattered windows throughout the house. The homeowner provided video that showed a man approaching the home. Moments later, several large explosions are seen, and then large amounts of smoke, according to police. They say the man was Arenas.
The Kane County bomb squad helped investigate the case. Those officers and Aurora police searched Arenas' home Aug. 27 and recovered "numerous" piece of evidence, Aurora police said.
The Kane County circuit court clerk's website indicates that on April 6, Arenas was charged with residential burglary, armed violence, being an armed habitual criminal, harassment, property damage and several weapons charges. He was ordered to stay away from the Kenilworth Place address and to avoid contact with the two people, one of whom is the victim in the newest case.
The clerk's website doesn't say what the original bail was set at, but it indicates Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo lowered it April 28 to $300,000, over a prosecutor's objection. Arenas was released on $30,000 bond.
LoPiccolo will hear a motion to increase or revoke the April bond Friday.