Three juveniles and one adult were arrested in the early morning hours of April 20, 2021 by Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputies at the scene of a suspicious house fire one mile east of Alexis, on the Mercer County side of the county line. The Alexis Fire Department was called to the fire at about 3:45 AM. A vehicle entered the fire staging area and was stopped by Alexis firefighters, who stood by with the vehicle until the arrival of law enforcement. On scene investigation by law enforcement officers resulted in the arrest of the vehicle occupants for charges ranging from illegal consumption of alcohol, illegal possession of alcohol, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Further investigation led to two of the juveniles being charged with arson. The other juvenile was charged with criminal trespass to property. The sole adult occupant of the vehicle, Emily Surber, 18 of Galesburg, was charged with criminal trespass to property. All vehicle occupants were transported to the Mercer County Jail to be booked and processed.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene to assist in the investigation, as it was believed the fire was related to two fires that took place near Alexis in Warren County, on the early morning of April 19th. Investigation continues in the matter.
***Report Courtesy of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department***