Tyskie Beer Bottle Ties Man To Arson: Prosecutor

JUSTICE, IL — A Justice man is accused of torching a company car because it was in poor condition. Jan Kowalkowski, 27, appeared Jan. 31 before Cook County Judge Terry Gallagher on a felony charge of arson. He also has a pending domestic battery case.

Fire crews responded to a vehicle on fire in the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2019, at Performance Auto, 8300 S. Roberts Road, in Justice. The prosecutor said that when firefighters arrived, the air smelled heavily of gasoline. Security video captured a man and woman running away from the lot. The 2002 Jeep Liberty that was burned was owned by Ingredion Inc.

Officers found a Tyskie beer bottle at the scene that was sent to the Illinois State Police crime lab for analysis.

According to the prosecutor, a witness told Justice police that she watched Kowalkowski pour gasoline into the Tyskie beer bottle. Kowalkowski told police the car was in poor condition, and he thought if he burned it, the company would get him a better vehicle, prosecutors said.

Kowalkowski has a pending misdemeanor from an unrelated domestic battery case on Jan. 8. In that case, prosecutors said Kowalkowski threw a book at his ex-girlfriend with the inscription, "you will die soon," according to court records.

The assistant public defender told the judge that Kowalkowski, who is still employed by Ingredion, is of limited means. Bail was set at $10,000.

Kowalkowski is due back in court Feb. 10.