The Lake County sheriff announced that deputies arrested a man and charged him with arson for a house fire in Round Lake, Illinois, on Monday.
Around 2:30 p.m., deputies responded to the 35300 block of North Summitt Place in unincorporated Round Lake after reports of a house fire.
When officers arrived, flames had already engulfed the home, officials said. Firefighters showed up moments later and battled the blaze from the street while also pumping water from the lake a few docks away.
According to the sheriff’s office, a 911 caller reported seeing someone leave the house with a gas can just before the fire started. The caller described the individual, and deputies quickly found a man matching that description.
Police identified him as Robert Neumann, 43, of Cary, Illinois. The sheriff’s office said Neumann rented space above a detached garage on the property and stayed there occasionally, but he was not permitted inside the residence.
The sheriff’s office said Neumann appeared to pour gasoline at the back of the house and set it on fire without any clear motive. During a search of the space he rented on the property, law enforcement found a nearly empty gas can.
Police confirmed no one was inside the house when the fire broke out, as the property serves as a weekend getaway home.
Authorities charged Neumann with one count of aggravated arson and one count of residential arson, both felonies. His court date has not yet been scheduled.
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