Man set fire to home after Thanksgiving argument, police say

A Turkey Day Blaze: Local Man Arrested After Setting Home Ablaze In Bitter Family Argument

In a bizarre turn of events on Thanksgiving Day, a 21-year-old man allegedly set fire to his own home after an explosive argument with family members in the north suburban Beach Park area. According to authorities, Erik J. Crump was "antagonizing and arguing" with others at the residence about an hour before the alleged arson.

When confronted by his family over his behavior, Crump was warned that he would be kicked out of the home. In a stunning display of desperation and anger, he allegedly returned to his bedroom, where he used some form of accelerant to set fire to his room before fleeing once again. Thankfully, his family members took swift action, noticing smoke and safely evacuating the premises.

Crump was spotted running from the scene, with authorities tracking him down using a sheriff's canine team at a storage facility in the 39400 block of North Lewis Avenue. He was apprehended without incident and charged with aggravated and residential arson.

Crump is set to appear in court on Friday morning, facing serious consequences for his actions on what was supposed to be a day of celebration and gratitude with loved ones.

I mean, can you imagine having to deal with family drama on Thanksgiving Day? It's like, the one day of the year where everyone's supposed to put their differences aside and just enjoy each other's company... and then this guy just loses it . And what's up with using accelerant to set his room on fire? Like, didn't he think that would get him attention or something? Anyway, I guess you could say the real winners here are the firefighters who got to deal with the aftermath of the blaze... and the sheriff's canine team for finding him .

I'm really worried about these home fires that have been happening everywhere lately. Like, what's going on? It's not just the holiday season or whatever, it seems like people are getting more and more desperate. And setting fire to your own home? That's just crazy talk . I mean, I get it, family arguments can get heated, but that doesn't make it okay to start a fire. It's just so... reckless. And now this guy's going to be in serious trouble for it too. Like, yeah, he needs to face the consequences or whatever, but maybe we should also try to figure out why people are getting so angry and frustrated all the time?

setting fire to ur own home is just plain crazy. i mean, i get it, family arguments can get pretty heated but that's no excuse to put urself & others in danger like that. it's like, take a deep breath, calm down, and talk it out instead of resorting to something so reckless.

i feel bad for the fam who had to deal with all that drama on ths supposed happy day. and what really gets me is crump could've hurt himself or others if they hadn't reacted in time. just a big ol' mess.

man this guy needs help he's got some serious anger issues lol i mean setting fire to ur own home is not the answer dude. i feel bad for his fam, they must be shaken up by that whole thing. and now crump's gonna have to deal with some major time behind bars i hope he gets some therapy or counseling soon, 'cause this ain't no way to resolve conflicts

Ugh, can you believe this guy Erik J Crump? Like, setting fire to his own home over a family argument? That's just crazy talk ! I mean, I know things can get heated during the holidays, but come on... And to think he was warned that if he kept being all antagonizing and stuff, he'd be outta there. Guess some people just can't take the heat . Now he's gotta deal with the aftermath of his stupid decision, and I hope he sees the error of his ways before he ends up in some bad situation .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this dude's decision to set fire to his own home . Like, I get it, family arguments can get pretty heated, but come on, that's not the way to deal with it. You'd think he'd've thought of a better way to express himself, like talking things through or taking a walk to clear his head. Instead, he chooses to burn down his own house and risk everyone's safety? It's just crazy to me how desperate and angry he must have been feeling to do something so reckless . Hopefully, he gets some serious help and therapy to deal with whatever issues were going on for him...

Ugh, this is insane ! Can't believe some people can just lose it like that on Turkey Day. I mean, setting fire to your own home? That's just not cool, dude . And the fact that he had a family argument beforehand and then tries to make everyone else deal with the consequences... yeah, no thanks .

And what's even more messed up is that his family members actually helped him out by evacuating the place and calling the cops . I guess you could say it's a good thing they were there to get everyone out safely, but still... Erik J. Crump needs some serious help .

I just can't fathom why someone would do something so reckless and destructive on a day that's supposed to be about love and giving . It's like, hello, take a deep breath and calm down before you start setting your own home ablaze . Just saying...

omg can u believe this guy's behavior?? setting fire to ur own home after a fight w/ family? that's just crazy talk!!! i mean i've heard of people losing it in the heat of the moment but this is just ridiculous. poor family members who had to deal w/ all that drama on thanksgiving day, trying to enjoy time with loved ones and then some dude sets fire to his own home. what's wrong w/ people these days?! anyway, glad no one was seriously hurt, but erik crump needs to get a grip and think about the consequences of his actions.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news...-fire-20231123-bq3k4h6dyp5zlwz7fgyrjq-jl.html

I cant even right now ... like what's wrong with this guy? He sets his own home on fire over some family argument?! And on Thanksgiving Day, of all days! It's like, what's the point? You think you're gonna make your family hate you more by throwing a match at your own house? Newsflash, Erik: we get it, you're upset. But burning down your own home is not the solution. That's just crazy talk . And to think he's been warned by his family and still does this... I hope he gets some serious help and a long sentence, because this behavior needs to be taken care of ASAP .

Ugh this just breaks my heart thinkin bout a 21 yr old guy losin out cuz he lost it on the one day everyone's s'posed to be all lovey dovey family arguments r the worst, they can escalate so fast i mean, who sets fire to their own home? that's some crazy stuff what was goin on in his head?! anyway, glad no one got hurt tho poor Erik J. Crump is gonna have a long road ahead of him

omg this guy's desperation & anger issues are seriously concerning like who sets fire to their own home over a family argument?? idk how much more messed up one can get, hopefully the court does him a solid

Can you believe this dude lost control like that over Thanksgiving?! It's not just the damage to the home, but also the fact that he put himself at risk. I mean, who does something so reckless and impulsive in the middle of a family gathering? Family is supposed to be about love and support, not arguments and desperation. The police did an amazing job tracking him down and keeping everyone safe. Now he's gotta face the consequences for his actions. Hopefully he gets some help and learns from this crazy mistake.

like wut r they even thinkin? someone gets all emo & sets fire 2 their own home on thanksgiving day . that's just crazy talk, can u imagine? i mean ur family is tryin to chill & have a good time, and this dude goes n full on meltdown mode . authorities did good job apprehend him tho . btw, who uses accelerants in their bedroom ? sounds like some real drama

This guy Crump needs some major help, you know? Setting fire to his own home on Thanksgiving Day? That's just crazy talk! What even is the point of doing that? Was it really worth risking everyone's lives? His family must've been super scared. And now he's gonna face serious charges and probably a whole lot of therapy... I mean, what's going through someone's mind when they do something like this? It just doesn't make sense.