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Lakeview Arsons Prompt More Police Patrols, Call for Community Help

By Erica Demarest | October 2, 2014 7:30am
 At least nine Lakeview fires have been classified as arsons since June.
Lakeview Arsons
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LAKEVIEW — Police on Wednesday night said they're looking for community help to solve a series of arsons in Lakeview alleys.

The fires started on June 10, when eight cars and a canopy were torched in the 3500 block of North Wilton Avenue. Since then, at least six other fires have been classified as arsons.

Several other fires have been reported, including an Aug. 31 blaze that gutted a coach house in the 1000 block of West Wellington Avenue. Police said there's no evidence of criminal intent in that case, but the fires have residents on edge.

"We believe individuals are walking down the alley and igniting available materials, namely the trash that is overflowing in the trash receptacles," said Sgt. Rich Sliva, who works with the city's bomb and arson unit.

All of the arsons happened between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. in Beat 1924 — an area bordered by Halsted, Southport, Addison and Belmont.

Sliva said police have amped up nightly patrols. This includes tactical and beat officers from the Town Hall district, as well as members of the bomb and arson unit.

"What we need from the community is your help also," Sliva said at a community policing meeting Wednesday night. "If you see anything [propped] up against something wooden, please move it away. Anyone walking by — just one lighter can light that."

He asked residents to call 911 or the arson unit at 312-746-7618 if they seen anyone suspicious in alleys at night. He's also looking for surveillance footage from homes and local businesses.

Sliva said the June 10 fires were probably lit by one person who used a flammable liquid. A handful of the cars destroyed had cloth covers that helped the fire spread.

No one is in custody for any of the arsons.

"Based on the time it's happening, we think it could be a homeless person that doesn't have anywhere to go and happened to be up at that time of night looking through garbage cans and scraps," Capt. Bill Looney said.

"Or it could be something connected to one of the bars and restaurants. OK, they close down at 2 a.m.. They close down at 4 a.m. Maybe it's something there. But we really don't know."

View Lakeview Arsons in a full screen map.

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