Cousins Torched SUV, Possibly Over a Woman: Cops

JOLIET, IL — Two cousins torched the sport utility vehicle of a romantic rival, police said, and harassed the owner with text messages both before and after the fire.

A man living on Oakwood Avenue reportedly called the cops shortly before 5:30 a.m. Sunday and told them he loud noise woke him up and when he looked outside, he saw a man throw a glass bottle at his son’s Chevy Tahoe, which was parked in the driveway. Soon after, the Tahoe burst into flames and was consumed by fire.

The East Joliet Fire Department doused the burning car.

After the man threw the bottle at the Tahoe, he ran to a waiting black pickup truck and made his getaway, the resident reportedly told the law.

The man’s son told deputies “he had received several harassing messages from two subjects that he knew,” police said. “The last message received was at 5:30 a.m. stating for him to wake up. When the owner woke up, his father told him that his vehicle was on fire.”

A couple hours earlier, deputies had been called to the same house, “where they spoke with Christopher Guzman-Gonzalez and his cousin, Ricardo Rodriguez,” police said, regarding Guzman-Gonzalez’s desire to have the police around while he tried to retrieve a BMW he had lent to his ex-girlfriend.

Guzman-Gonzalez told “deputies that he believed his girlfriend was now dating the owner of the Tahoe,” police explained, but the BMW wasn’t at the house and everyone left.

While cops were talking to the owner of the Tahoe, the black getaway pickup was spotted in the area, police said.

“Deputies conducted a stop on the vehicle and both (Guzman-Gonzalez and Rodriguez) were brought to the investigations division for questioning,” police said. “Statements were made implicating the (two men) and they were arrested for arson.”

Guzman-Gonzalez, 21, and Rodriguez, 20, were taken to the Will County jail. They remained in custody Monday afternoon.

Christopher Guzman-Gonzalez (left) and Ricardo Rodriguez | images via Will County Sheriff's Department