Crime & Safety
Man Throws 'Fire Bomb' Inside Algonquin Caputo's
An ex-employee set off a fire in the deli section of the grocery store early Sunday afternoon, leaving one man injured.
Updated Monday at 10:40 a.m.
Bond was set at $2 million for a 24-year-old Sleepy Hollow man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail in the deli section of the Algonquin Caputo's grocery store Sunday afternoon.
Fabian J. Torres, who police say is an ex-employee of the grocery store, has been charged with aggravated arson after allegedly throwing a bomb made out of a bottle filled with flammable liquid, leaving one man injured.
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A preliminary hearing is set for Friday morning.
Sunday at 12:17 p.m. the Algonquin police received a call of a fire at Joe Caputo and Son’s Grocery Store, located in the 100 block of South Randall Road.
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"It was extremely packed in there," said Crystal Lake resident Thom Petrouski who was shopping with his wife and son at the time.
Petrouski called the object that was thrown a "fire bomb."
Petrouski said a man in his late 20s threw an object that was on fire in the air and starting running toward the exit. Petrouski said that he saw an older man have his clothes set on fire.
Police said the injured man was treated and released on the scene.
Petrouski said he then chased the man who threw the fire to his car, tackled him to the ground and detained him with the assistance of an off-duty Carpentersville officer until police arrived.
Petrouski said he asked the man why he would do that, and the man told him it was because he was Native American and people ruined his land. Police then arrived and arrested the man, and a K-9 Unit searched the man's car.
“I didn’t hear any loud noise, just a tons of screams,” said Petrouski's wife, Nicole Petrouski, who was in the produce section with her son. “All of a sudden this guy ran past very fast, I had to pick up my son to get him out of the way.”
Employees stood off to the side of the building, and some people went home. One employee said the store would not open until tomorrow as she walked to her car.
The amount of the damage caused to the store is unknown at this time.
Police said the investigation is continuing and additional charges may be filed.
- Savannah Ziegelbauer contributed to the reporting of this story.
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