Prosecutors say an Indiana man charged with arson deliberately set fire to his girlfriend’s Carpentersville apartment because she wasn’t home when he came to see her.
The blaze allegedly started Nov. 29 by Garland H. McGhee III, 30, of Gary, destroyed the entire building at the Meadowvale Apartments complex, 104 Meadowvale Court, and left 24 families without homes, officials said.
McGhee was arrested Jan. 14 and charged with felony aggravated arson, residential arson, arson to real or personal property damage more than $150 and criminal damage with fire more than $100,000.
At a pretrial detention hearing Tuesday, Kane County state’s attorney’s office prosecutors argued that McGhee should be remain in the county jail while his case is pending based on details of the fire learned through the investigation.
Officials say McGhee and a friend drove to the apartment building to see a woman McGhee was dating. However, the woman told him that she was out with a friend and wouldn’t be home, according to court documents.
McGhee allegedly broke into the woman’s apartment and set fire to clothing he found in her bedroom, court documents said.
No one was injured in the blaze, which started on the first floor and spread to the roof, but the building was a total loss, fire officials said.
Kane County Associate Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo granted the prosecution’s detention request, saying he believed McGhee posed a danger to the community and should remain in county custody, documents said. His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 28.
Court records indicate that McGhee is currently on parole for a shooting in Indiana.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
