2 Charged With Arson In Fire At Former Regal Cinemas Building

ROUND LAKE BEACH, IL — Two men face arson charges in connection with allegations they started a blaze at the former Regal Cinemas in Round Lake Beach over the weekend.

David M. Dolan, 19, of Lake Villa, and Anthony P. Shields, 20, of Lake Villa, were both taken into custody at their home on Sunday. Police say they found "physical evidence of their role in the fire" at the time of their arrest, according to a news release from the Round Lake Beach Police Department.

• Fire Severely Damages Former Regal Cinemas In Round Lake Beach

On Saturday night, the Round Lake Beach Fire Department responded to the fire after a passerby reported seeing an orange light inside the building at 550 East Rollins Road, according to a news release from the fire department.

It took firefighters about 40 minutes to get the fire under control. No one was found inside the building at the time of the blaze, and no injuries have been reported, fire officials said.

Detectives determined the fire was intentionally set and developed "credible information" that helped them to identify the suspects. Police say they knew one of the suspects, who had been arrested in the past for causing property damage in Round Lake Beach.

Both men have been charged with felony counts of arson and are expected to appear for detention hearings Tuesday afternoon in Lake County Circuit Court, according to online court records.

The Round Lake Beach Police Department and the Office of the Illinois State Marshal are continuing to investigate the blaze. Meanwhile, the former theater at 550 E. Rollins Rd. has been boarded up and secured for safety purposes, police said Tuesday.