A Hoffman Estates, Illinois man is accused of intentionally starting a fire at a small chapel outside a Crown Point church in late October.
Tyler Jacob Cyr, 24, is facing two level 4 felony counts of arson and two counts of criminal mischief, according to the probable cause affidavit.
There is an active warrant for Cyr’s arrest.
Around 2:24 a.m. on Oct. 22, Crown Point police and the fire departments responded to a structure fire at Saints Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Church at 9660 Broadway.
Upon arrival, the small prayer chapel located outside the main church was engulfed in flames and subsequently extinguished by the Crown Point Fire Department.
The fire caused substantial damage, estimated at more than $30,000, to the interior of the small chapel.
The immediate cause of the fire was suspected arson, according to Crown Point police.
Stevco Simakovski, a member of the church, provided police with video surveillance tape of the scene, according to court documents.
Upon review of the Ring camera video, police were able to identify both Cyr and the black Honda Civic he was driving as well as the license plate number. An arson investigation was launched by the Crown Point police and fire departments and confirmed the probable cause of the fire was an intentional human act and will be ruled incendiary.
In addition to the Oct. 22 fire, police said they were investigating three active incidents involving theft and criminal mischief to the same chapel, with the first incident occurring on Sept. 23.
A spokesperson for the church couldn’t be reached for comment on Friday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Crown Point police department.
Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
