Mario Palacios (left) and Xavier Bijarro | Aurora police
AURORA, Ill. - Two men were charged in connection with an arson Monday in west suburban Aurora.
Mario Palacios, 18, and Xavier Bijarro, 20, each are facing two felony counts of arson, according to Aurora police.
About 1:15 a.m., police received a call from a woman in the 400 block of Michigan Avenue, saying she received a motion alert from her exterior security cameras, police said. When she looked at the camera system on her phone, she saw her SUV was on fire in her driveway. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire.
About seven minutes later, an Aurora police officer stopped a vehicle near Galena Boulevard and Union Street and when they approached the vehicle, the inside smelled like gasoline, police said. Officers on the scene of the original fire reviewed the surveillance video, which showed two men setting fire to the SUV.
Officers were able to positively identify Mario Palacios, who was inside the stopped vehicle, by his long-braided ponytail, police said. Both he and the second occupant, Xavier Bijarro, were taken into custody and charged.