Man Starts Fire In County Jail Lobby
UPDATE – Earlier Friday morning, the man wanted in connection with the arson in the lobby of the Lake County Jail was taken into custody by officers of the Tinley Park, Illinois Police Department, according to Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. 26-year-old Ryan Andrews is currently being held at a facility in Illinois pending extradition to Indiana.
“The Lake County Sheriff’s Department appreciates the hard work of officers from the Tinley Park Police who have been supportive since the start of the investigation. I would also like to thank Lake County Sheriff’s Department investigators for their diligence and professionalism in following up on leads in the case,” Martinez said.
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Just before noon, Monday, June 5, 2023, Lake County Jail staff reported that a visitor had started a small fire in the lobby of the facility, according to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr.
It’s believed that a black male entered the lobby with a plastic jug which contained some type of accelerant. The man doused the lobby with the liquid, lit it and ran. He left the area in a blue SUV.
The suspect is described as a black male wearing what appears to be black or dark-colored t-shirt and jeans. He was also wearing a dark baseball cap with a logo on the front. The car was a smaller or mid-size SUV or crossover. It may be a Lexus, Toyota or similar make.
No one was injured and there was no major damage.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau at (219) 755-3346.
