Charles Green charged with murder, arson after David Meyer, Chicago Fire Department captain, dies in Austin garage fire
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — A man has been charged with arson and murder in connection with a West Side fire that killed a Chicago Fire Department captain on Wednesday.

On Friday, Chicago police confirmed that 44-year-old Charles Green, of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon hours after the fire, though police have not said how they identified him as a suspect.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Green has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of aggravated arson for allegedly lighting a fire in a trash bin that investigators say was the cause of the Austin garage fire that killed CFD Captain David Meyer earlier that morning, police said.

News of Green’s arrest comes after police confirmed that a person of interest was in custody on Thursday. Green lives just blocks from the scene of the fire.

Firefighters were called the fire at about 4:03 a.m. Wednesday in the 1200-block of Pine Avenue. The Office of Fire Investigations said the fire was started by someone intentionally igniting the contents of a trash bin.

The fire was out when part of the garage collapsed, critically-injuring Meyer. The 54-year-old later died at Stroger Hospital.

Meyer is being remembered as a hard working, decades-long public servant. The more than 28-year CFD veteran leaves behind a wife and four children.

Thursday was rough for the firefighters at Engine 96 Ladder 29, as those closest to Meyer spent part of the day at a procession that transferred Meyer’s body from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office to a Northwest Side funeral home.

It was around midday Thursday when the ambulance carrying the remains of Meyer arrived in Norwood Park. Firefighters saluted his casket as it was taken into the funeral home where it will remain for now.

Also on Thursday, crews tore down the garage.

Resident Miriam Alonso shared cell phone video of Wednesday’s fire, which she said is just one in a series of dumpster fires that have been set on her block this year.

“It feels horrendous,” Alonso said. “There are no words for it.”

She was watching in horror as her family’s garage collapsed onto Meyer, shortly after a trash bin fire that spread into the garage was put out. She watched it happen.

“This is so traumatizing. I still have it in replay in my head like how it all happened,” Alonso said. “I hear them still screaming. I still see the smoke… Everything came down. And it hit him right here. All the bricks fell on top of him. We all witnessed that. And we saw everybody panic, ‘he’s down, he’s down.'”

Officials confirmed that so far this year, there have been at least five trash bin fires set a the stretch of West Crystal Street nearby. Two of them caused substantial structural damage after spreading onto nearby properties. Residents believe the same person is behind all of them.

“It’s not an accident,” Alonso said. “Like you’re lighting something on fire. Obviously you’re gong to catch something on fire, you know. Especially you’re doing a trash can. Like, it’s common sense.”

Public visitation for Captain Meyer will take place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Malec and Sons Funeral Home in Norwood Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

The funeral service follows Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Saint John Brebeuf Church in Niles.

ABC7 is expecting to learn more on Saturday when Green will be scheduled to appear in court.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Welcome to CryptoFile: Your D.C. Insider’s Guide to the Crypto Revolution

Introducing CryptoFile: Your Guide to the Crypto Revolution from a D.C. Insider’s Perspective

Welcome to CryptoFile: Your D.C. Insider’s Guide to the Crypto Revolution Welcome…
Minnesota lawmaker convicted of felony burglary for breaking into estranged stepmother’s home

Minnesota Legislator Found Guilty of Felony for Burglary at Estranged Stepmother’s Residence

A Minnesota state senator was found guilty of burglary on Friday for…
Chris Hemsworth returns in new season of 'Limitless: Live Better Now' on Disney+, Hulu and Nat Geo

Chris Hemsworth is Back with a New Season of ‘Limitless: Live Better Now’ on Disney+, Hulu, and Nat Geo

The new season follows Hemsworth on a bold mission to live healthier,…
Large fire at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, Belgium.

Tomorrowland Races to Construct New Stage After Devastating Fire – Festival Start Time Delayed

TOMORROWLAND bosses have pledged to build a whole new main stage in…
Explosion reported at LA Sheriff's facility

Blast Occurs at LA Sheriff’s Office Facility

Aerial footage shows the explosion happened in a parking lot filled with…
Man pulled into MRI machine while wearing metal chain in Long Island, New York

Long Island Incident: Man Gets Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain

WESTBURY, New York — A man was magnetically pulled into an MRI…
Trump is checked for lower leg swelling and diagnosed with a common condition in older adults

Trump Undergoes Examination for Leg Swelling, Diagnosed with Typical Age-Related Condition

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump underwent a medical checkup after he…
'General Hospital' star Tristan Rogers announces cancer diagnosis

‘General Hospital’ Actor Tristan Rogers Reveals He Is Battling Cancer

The Australian actor first appeared on “General Hospital” more than 40 years…
Kim Jong Un and his daughter on a beach with a city in the background.

North Korea Shuts Down New Tourist Resort to Foreigners Shortly After Launching, After Years of Delays

In an unexpected move, North Korea has stopped allowing foreign tourists into…
Russia threatens West with ‘preemptive strikes’ as NATO looks to deliver Patriots 'as quickly as possible'

Russia Warns West with Possible Preemptive Strikes as NATO Races to Deploy Patriot Missiles Quickly

Moscow might contemplate “preemptive strikes” against Western countries, as former Russian President…
Portrait of Tzipi Hotovely, Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom.

Israel’s Ambassador to Britain Expresses Distrust in BBC News Chief Over Comments on Hamas

ISRAEL’S ambassador to Britain says she has “no confidence” in the BBC’s…
Coca-Cola bottles made from 100% recycled materials.

Trump Announces Coca Cola’s Recipe Change, Promising ‘It’s Improved!’

DONALD Trump revealed he has convinced Coca Cola to make a major…