Amboy teen charged with arson at laundromat

AMBOY – A fire that destroyed a local laundromat Wednesday night apparently was started when a 14-year-old boy dropped a lit piece of paper onto a couch that was in the building, police said Friday.

Police arrested the boy about 2:30 p.m. Thursday at his home and charged him with arson. He was released to his parents.

Firefighters were called to the Amboy Laundromat, 106 S. Jones Ave., about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday. The laundromat was destroyed, and heavy damage was done to an apartment and storage building that is attached to the laundromat.

It took firefighters about 30 to 45 minutes to put out the flames. Two people who live in the apartment, but were not home at the time of the fire, have been unable to return to the apartment because of the damage, according to fire officials.

Amboy Police Chief Paul Smith said that witnesses reported seeing the boy and two others running from the building about the time of the fire.

When interviewed by police, the boy said he had been lighting pieces of paper with a lighter in the laundromat when one of the lit pieces of paper fell onto a couch.

Smith said he did not know why the boy was lighting the paper or why he was in the laundromat that night.

He added that he did not expect more arrests.