Man accused of setting his house on fire, damaging car

NIANTIC, Ill. (WAND) - A man was arrested after deputies said he set his own house on fire and took a baseball bat to a car parked on the street.

Jessie McDaniel is charged with residential arson and criminal damage to property.

On April 11, the Macon County Sheriff's Office was called to the 200 block of W. North St. for a welfare check on McDaniel after a caller said he was smashing windows of a car with a bat. About 10 minutes later, 911 told deputies another caller had said McDaniel had set his house on fire.

Deputies detained McDaniel when they arrived.

A neighbor told them she had heard a commotion in front of her house. She said she looked out the window and saw McDaniel smashing windows out of a car parked at a home. She said she is scared of McDaniel because he is known to be combative.

She said she heard smoke alarms and saw McDaniel walking down the street. She said she had seen the other occupant of the home leave a few hours before.

Deputies spoke to the other occupant of the home. She told them she had left the house with her dog to go mushroom hunting. She said there was also a white pregnant cat that she had given to McDaniel, which was left at the house. Firefighters searched but were unable to find the cat due to severe damage to the home's interior.

McDaniel was denied pre-trial release, and his next court date is set for April 29.