A Prospect Heights man was charged this week in connection with a December apartment explosion in Skokie.
Stefan Kogut, 53, of the 100 block of West Ridge Avenue in the northwest suburb was charged with two counts of arson, according to a release from the Skokie Police Department.
Kogut was found near the rubble of the two-story apartment building after the December 12 explosion and fire.
Officials first believed the explosion, in the 8700 block of North Kimball Avenue, was caused by natural gas, but later said they found a single burnt match near where Kogut was injured.
The building had been empty and under construction at the time of the explosion, but Skokie firefighters received reports of a fire at the building before the explosion occurred. The house had already been severely damaged by the time they arrived on the scene.
Kogut’s bail has been set at $500,000, and he is due in court May 7, according to the Daily Herald.
