Jacksonville Police arrested a man from Jacksonville’s north side on Sunday after an alleged arson to a North Church Street garage.
According to a press release from the Jacksonville Police Department, just after 6:30AM Sunday, a Jacksonville Police officer smelled something burning outside of the Police Department, located at 200 West Douglas Avenue. Officers then canvassed the area and located a garage in the 600 block of North Church Street fully engulfed in flames.
The Jacksonville Fire Department was immediately deployed to suppress the blaze and the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s Office was called into investigate. Subsequent to investigation, a suspect for alleged arson was identified by the State Fire Marshall’s Office and the Morgan County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The Jacksonville Police Department then arrested the purported suspect, 39 year old Dustin J. Jones of the 300 block of West Lafayette Avenue shortly after 2PM Sunday. He is currently being held on an arson charge at the Morgan County Jail awaiting a pretrial detention hearing.
The Jacksonville Police Department indicates that investigation into this arson incident as well as others within the 5-block radius that have occurred within the last 3 years remains open and ongoing. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Jacksonville Police Investigations at 217-479-4630 or leave an anonymous tip with the Morgan-Scott-Cass Crime Stoppers at 217-243-7300.