A man has been charged with arson and animal cruelty following a significant fire that broke out in the southern suburb on Monday morning, as announced by officials on Friday.
According to a spokesperson from the City of Blue Island, 22-year-old Ronaldo Nunez faces three charges of aggravated arson, one charge of aggravated animal cruelty, and one charge of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
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People nearby said they heard a loud bang before the fire broke out at a house in the 2000-block of Vermont Street around 4:15 a.m.
The fire destroyed one home and damaged three others. One of those homes housed a hair salon.
A person was hospitalized with minor burn injuries, and two firefighters were released after being taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion.
Although two ferrets and a cat managed to escape the residence where the blaze began, the family reported that their 8-year-old German Shepherd, Lexi, is missing.
One person told ABC7 off camera that his brother, who was home during the time of the fire, had burns on his leg and back. He says the rest of the family was away in Mexico.
On Monday, a spokesperson said a person being investigated in connection with the fire was being treated at Loyola University Medical center for burn injuries. Officials on Friday did not immediately say if Nunez is that person or whether he was the burn victim found at the scene.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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