RoomPlace Employee Charged with Arson for Woodridge Fire

Woodridge, IL - A disgruntled employee of The RoomPlace in Woodridge is facing federal arson charges for the $70 million fire that blazed through the Woodridge furniture warehouse April 21, according to Thomas Ahern, public information officer for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Ruben Antonio Ochoa Cruz of Joliet told investigators he set the fire with a disposable lighter and a packing slip to relieve stress and to calm his frustrations with management, according to the criminal complaint, which was obtained and shared by CBS Chicago.

Cruz, 20, is charged with one count of arson, and he was ordered held in federal custody, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois. A detention hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. May 4.

The minimum sentence for the arson charge is five years in prison, and the maximum sentence is 20 years, the U.S. Attorney's Office reports.

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The fire alarm went off around 5 p.m. April 21 at the warehouse at 2501 Internationale Parkway. People calling 911 reported there was smoke in building, and about 50 people were safely evacuated.

Cruz worked as a high lift operator for about seven months at the distribution center, and he operated forklifts to access and move stacked furniture in the warehouse.

Cruz initially denied starting the fire. But after law enforcement confronted him with evidence, Cruz acknowledged he was working on a forklift April 21 when he took a packing slip from one of the shelves and used a blue disposable lighter to ignite the corner of the paper, according to the criminal complaint.

He said he threw the burning paper to the right of the forklift. The fire alarm went off not long after.

The fire escalated quickly until it reached a fourth alarm. About 35 departments sent firefighters to the scene, and several fire companies worked through the night.

No injuries to The RoomPlace employees or firefighters were reported.

"We are deeply disturbed at the news one of our employees has been charged in connection with the fire that destroyed our main distribution center April 21st," said Paul Adams, The RoomPlace CEO, in a statement. "We continue to cooperate with federal authorities as they search for more details around a cause and potential motive. In the meantime, we remain focused on rebuilding our warehouse and delivery infrastructure and supporting those employees displaced by the fire.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been investigating the cause of the fire, with help from the Lemont Fire Protection District and Woodridge police, according to Lemont Fire Protection Chief George Rimbo.

Check back as this story develops.