An Illinois man is in trouble with the law after allegedly setting his family’s house on fire on Thanksgiving.
Police say they were called to a home in Beach Park because of a family argument involving 21-year-old Erik J. Crump. Officers calmed things down, but later that night, they got another call saying the house was on fire.
When firefighters arrived, they spotted a man matching Crump’s description nearby, allegedly holding a knife. The man ran away, but police dogs helped track him to a storage place where he was arrested.
Investigators believe that after the argument, Crump was told he would be kicked out of the house. He left, came back, went to his room, and left again. Soon after, the family saw smoke and ran out of the house. Police think Crump used something to help start the fire in his room before running away.
The fire caused a lot of damage to the house, but thankfully, no one was hurt.
Crump is now facing serious charges, including arson. Prosecutors say the argument that led to the fire was about a dog. They also claim Crump said he didn’t care about his family’s safety.
