Crime & Safety
St. Clair County, IL Man Charged With 4 Arsons, Business Destroyed
Belleville, IL – A 19 year old Mascoutah man faces seven criminal charges, including four felony arson counts, following a suspicious fire that destroyed an auto body business and two vehicles, along
By Marcus Hale · 2026-10-24T23:24:51.310Z
Belleville, IL – A 19 year old Mascoutah man faces seven criminal charges, including four felony arson counts, following a suspicious fire that destroyed an auto body business and two vehicles, along with a separate incident at a township government building.
According to the St. Clair County Sheriff 's Office, Elijah R. Thomas, 19, was formally charged Thursday, October 22, following investigations into incidents that occurred Tuesday, October 20, in Mascoutah and Belleville.
Auto Body Business Destroyed in Overnight Fire Deputies responded to Dan's Autobody and Towing at 10201 Illinois State Route 177 in Mascoutah around 2:21 a.m. Tuesday after firefighters requested assistance with a suspicious fire.
The building was declared a total loss, and two customer vehicles, a Ford Fusion and Kia Sportage, were destroyed.
Investigators with the Illinois State Fire Marshal assisted sheriff's detectives, who also recovered surveillance footage from nearby businesses.
Second Incident at Township Building Hours later, around 11:34 a.m., deputies responded to the Shiloh Valley Township Office at 1370 Shiloh Station Road in Belleville for a reported burglary in progress.
A township employee reported seeing a man leave the garage carrying his radio.
Deputies located the individual walking along Carlyle Avenue. Authorities said he allegedly ignored repeated commands to stop before being taken into custody without injuries.
Inside the building, investigators discovered a plastic peanut butter jar stuffed into a kitchen oven, with the oven and stovetop set to 500 degrees.
Firefighters measured nearby cabinetry temperatures exceeding 120 degrees and removed the oven to prevent additional damage. The $300 appliance was destroyed.
Seven Criminal Charges Filed Thomas faces four Class 2 felony arson counts, one Class 2 felony burglary count and two Class A misdemeanor counts involving obstruction of a peace officer and identification.
Prosecutors filed the charges Thursday, and an arrest warrant was issued. The sheriff's office reported Thomas was in custody.
The cases remain subject to court proceedings. Thomas is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.