Two men reportedly angry about being thrown out of a Beach Park bar, along with a third person, have been charged in a recent arson fire that gutted the tavern, police said.
Fernando A. Mejia, 18, and Fulgencio Benites-Gaspar, 36, both of the 900 block of Broadway in North Chicago, and Estivent J. Mena-Ferrera, 21, of the 3000 block of Caryn Lane, Waukegan, have been charged in connection with the fire at The Social Club.
Police and firefighters responded to the bar at 37895 Sheridan Road at around 5:55 a.m. on July 17 for a fire that caused “catastrophic” damage to the structure, authorities said.
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Investigators determined early on that the fire had been intentionally set.
During their investigation, police said they identified a suspicious vehicle that had been in the area around the time of the blaze. On Thursday, they located the vehicle in the 900 block of Broadway in North Chicago and interviewed Mejia and Benites-Gaspar.
Detectives determined that the pair had been angry about being removed from the bar several weeks earlier by security and had been plotting to set the structure on fire.
“This appeared to be a difficult case to solve, but our detectives remained relentless,” Sheriff John Idleburg said. “Their work led to the identification and arrest of those responsible for an incredibly dangerous crime that put firefighters and others at significant risk.”