Homeless man charged with setting fire to aunt, uncle's Wheaton home

WHEATON, Ill. - A homeless man is charged with setting fire to his aunt and uncle’s west suburban home, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Wheaton arson

Nahom T. Abraha, 40, is charged with one count of aggravated arson, a Class X felony.

On Tuesday, Abraha appeared in court where a judge denied him pre-trial release.

The backstory:

Wheaton firefighters and police responded around 6:28 a.m. Sunday to a home in the 200 block of Woodlawn Street. A neighbor told officers he heard a noise outside, then saw the back of the home on fire.

The neighbor retrieved a fire extinguisher from his home and put out the fire, prosecutors said.

While securing the scene, officers found a large clear bottle containing a yellow liquid in the yard of a neighboring residence.

Prosecutors allege Abraha went to the home with a 3-liter water container filled with gasoline. He allegedly poured the gasoline on the house, ignited it and returned to his car.

According to prosecutors, Abraha stayed in the car until he saw the neighbor leave his home. He then drove to the Wheaton Police Department and turned himself in.

What they're saying:

"Mr. Abraha’s alleged actions endangered not only the lives of those inside the home, but also the lives of our first responders and others in the community," DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said in a statement. "I commend the neighbor whose quick actions quite possibly averted a tragedy."

Wheaton Police Chief P.J. Youker thanked first responders, detectives and residents who acted during the incident.

"Community safety is not a spectator sport," Youker said. "It takes public safety and residents working together to keep Wheaton a safe place to live."

What's next:

Abraha is due back in court Oct. 13.

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