Unhappy Guest Tries Burning Down Star Inn Plaza: Joliet Police

JOLIET, IL — While most of the city was sound asleep, Joliet police say a 41-year-old Joliet man intended to burn down the Star Inn Motel at 2219 1/2 West Jefferson Street because he was an unhappy guest. The fire was set inside one of the motel rooms, authorities said.

By lunch time Thursday, Andrew "Andy" Hogrefe was booked into the Will County Jail on charges of arson as well as criminal damage to property.

Around 4:15 a.m., Joliet squad cars and engines from Joliet Fire Station 6 on Oneida Street rolled up to the Star Inn Motel for a fire inside one of the guest rooms. Firefighters saw smoke and orange flames within the empty room and got the fire extinguished in about five minutes, Fire Chief Greg Blaskey told Joliet Patch.

"Hogrefe advised an employee that he had just started a fire in the room that was registered to him. He then fled the scene on foot," Joliet police announced.

"Officers on scene gathered a description of Hogrefe and he was located a short time later in the 2300 block of West Jefferson. Hogrefe made comments indicating that he intentionally started the fire after becoming upset at the quality of room that he received. Hogrefe was placed into custody without incident."

Will County Jail logs indicate that Hogrefe lives in the 1600 block of East Washington Street, in the Ingalls Park area of Joliet's east side.

He will spend Thursday night sleeping at the county detention facility, and when he wakes up Friday, he will appear on a video monitor at the jail for a bail hearing in front of a Will County judge.

Fire Chief Blaskey told Patch that Station 6 firefighters contained the damage to the one guest room. Therefore, Star Inn Plaza remains open as always.