Boy Starts Fire At Villa Park Public Pool: Authorities

VILLA PARK, IL – A 15-year-old Villa Park boy is accused of breaking into Jefferson Pool in Villa Park and then setting fire to a desk in the office.

The boy was charged with the felonies of arson, burglary and criminal damage and the misdemeanor of obstructing a police officer.

Shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday, Villa Park officers went to the pool after a surveillance camera showed the boy swinging an object at the window, according to a news release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

Officers surrounded the building and saw the glow of the fire inside, police said. They found the youth hiding in a bathroom stall.

He was found to have a lighter and a backpack that contained a hammer, a hatchet, a pry bar, three pairs of scissors, tin snips and a small dumbbell with a rope tied to it, prosecutors said.

Investigators said they learned the youth used the dumbbell to break a window through which he entered the building, police said. The fire damaged the desk, a computer keyboard, paper and a carpet.

After he was arrested, the boy tried to pull away and run from officers, but was unsuccessful, police said.

"The allegations that a fifteen-year-old boy disguised himself and broke into a popular government-owned facility and set fire to a desk and office equipment are extremely disturbing," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. "Thankfully, Villa Park authorities were alerted to the situation very early before the fire had a chance to spread and possibly cause extensive damage to the facility."

A DuPage County judge ordered the youth to be jailed until his next court appearance, which is Monday.