Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:
A man has been charged with setting fire to his family’s home last week in Carol Stream. The fire was reported about 10 a.m. Aug. 19 in the 700 block of Aztec Drive. Witnesses told investigators a man in black clothing was seen leaving the home carrying a black bag as the fire started. The man, later identified as Kashyf H. Syed, stole a bicycle from a nearby school and rode south into Armstrong Park. When police approached him, he allegedly became combative and injured one officer before he was taken into custody.
Police said Syed used gasoline to start the fire in the home where he lives with his family before fleeing with some personal items. The family was not home at the time and no injuries were reported. He is charged with felony counts of residential arson, aggravated battery to a peace officer, and aggravated resisting arrest, plus a misdemeanor count of theft. His bail was set at $300,000 during a hearing Aug. 21 at the DuPage County Courthouse. Syed, 25, remains in custody and is due back in court Oct. 19.
The Carol Stream Fire Protection District was able to extinguish the blaze, but the house was rendered uninhabitable.
