Naperville Man Headed to Jail for Blowing Up Neighbor’s Front Door

The Naperville man arrested in January and charged with residential arson for setting off an explosive device at the front door of a neighbor’s home last September has been sentenced to 60 days incarceration, two years probation and $4,400 in restitution payments, the Daily Herald reports.

According to the paper, Mark Hoen, 23, of the 400 block of Prairie Knoll Dr. (a block south of his victims’ home) pled guilty to the lesser charge of felony criminal damage to property, and the arson charge was dropped, for the incident early on the morning of Sept. 30 on the 300 block of Prairie Knoll Drive. 

Hoen’s attorney Terry Ekl told the paper that the explosive device, an “aerial mortal firework,” was similar to an M-80 firecracker. Police previously said that it caused "significant damage to the door and the front of the house," and that the homeowners, who were inside the house asleep at the time of the explosion were exposed to "potential serious injuries.” (They were not actually injured, the Herald said.)

"This was a situation where Mark had been drinking with some friends and did a stupid thing," Ekl told the paper, adding that the victims “are wonderful people… They wanted to make sure Mark got help for his drinking."

Read the full story at the Daily Herald website.