Illinois man tried to set fire to home with mother of his unborn child inside: officials

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Hunter Lauridsen | Kankakee County Sheriff's Office

MANTENO, Ill. - An Illinois man is accused of trying to set fire to a mobile home where his unborn child’s mother and her 2-year-old son lived on Monday.

What we know:

The arson attempt happened around 12:39 a.m. at a mobile home park in rural Manteno, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office.

A witness told deputies they saw a suspicious vehicle near the entrance of the park. The witness said they saw the car's lights turn off and a person trying to put out flames near the residence before fleeing the scene in a pickup truck.

Deputies later arrested 23-year-old Hunter Lauridsen at his residence in Manteno. He was taken to the Jerome Combs Detention Center where he was charged with attempted residential arson and endangering the life or health of a child.

"Reckless and malicious"

What they're saying:

"The reckless and malicious actions alleged in this case could have easily resulted in a tragic loss of innocent life," Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful that no one was injured and that our deputies were able to take the suspect into custody swiftly.