A Nevada man who allegedly started a fire inside a Rosemont Target store on Thursday is facing charges. The fire caused about $1.5 million in damage, Rosemont police said.
Denny Ellis, a 56-year-old Nevada man, is facing a charge of aggravated arson. He was held in custody after an initial hearing Sunday, Rosemont officials said.
Rosemont firefighters, along with others from the surrounding area, responded to a fire at the 7000 Mannheim Road Target store’s diaper aisle at 11:54 a.m. after employees tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher and the store’s sprinkler systems were set off, Rosemont officials said.
No injuries were reported, though officials said smoke and water caused “extensive damage” beyond the area where the fire was, causing about $1.5 million in damage.
MABAS Division 20 Arson Investigators, the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office, agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Rosemont detectives and Target security identified Ellis as a suspect and used license plate readers to track his vehicle to Elk Grove Village. He was later taken to the Rosemont police station and charged.