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Ford Heights man charged with arson in vacant home fire

By Nic Flosi
Published  September 16, 2025 8:23pm CDT
Ford Heights
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • A 41-year-old Ford Heights man was charged with arson after a vacant house fire last week.
    • Investigators said security footage and the smell of smoke on his clothes tied him to the blaze.
    • He was ordered held in Cook County Jail after a court hearing.

COOK COUNTY - A Ford Heights man has been charged with arson after investigators said he set fire to a vacant home in the south suburb last week.

What we know:

Cook County Sheriff’s Police said officers on patrol spotted a house on fire around 1 a.m. last Tuesday in the 1300 block of Ellis Avenue.

Officers found 41-year-old Timothy Viverette nearby. His clothing smelled of smoke, authorities said, and security video showed him close to the home at the time the fire began.

Timothy Viverette | CCSO

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Viverette with Class 2 felony arson later that day.

What's next:

Viverette appeared in court last Wednesday in Markham, where a judge ordered him held in Cook County Jail.

The Source: The information in this story came from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

Ford HeightsCrime and Public SafetyNews