Home Burns Down Three Days Before Foreclosure Sale; Homeowners Charged With Arson

In South Beloit, Illinois, the Rockford Register Star reports:

• Three days before Dean and Jaclyn Jacobson’s house was scheduled to be sold at a foreclosure auction, it went up in flames. Now the couple are charged with arson, accused of setting the home ablaze. [...] The Jacobsons are charged with aggravated arson, a Class X felony, which carries a penalty of between six and 30 years in prison, January Smith, spokeswoman for the marshal’s office, said. The charge was upgraded to aggravated arson in this incident because a South Beloit firefighter was injured during the blaze. [...] Court records show that the Jacobsons were having trouble making payments on their home, automobile and medical expenses.

Reportedly, the home was a total loss, with damages estimated at approximately $120,000-$150,000. For more, see South Beloit couple charged with arson (if link expires, try here). foreclosure arson yak