Niles police officers responded to a residence in the 6500 block of Ebinger Drive in the early morning hours of June 26 for a report that a man was threatening to set his girlfriend’s house on fire.
A Niles woman told police that her boyfriend, Harvey E. Moore, 43, was intoxicated and upset for an unknown reason, and began pouring gasoline on the back porch while saying he would burn the house down. The victim became worried and called 911.
Moore allegedly left the home in an unknown direction, and officers found him in the immediate area. Upon arrival at the house, officers could smell an obvious odor of gasoline on the rear porch, according to the police department. A gas canister was located and inventoried. The victim and her two children left the residence for the night.
The Niles Department said it contacted the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services about the incident.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved one count of attempted aggravated arson, a Class 1 felony, against Moore.