A Clinton man is accused of setting fire to the apartment-house where he lived, leaving five families homeless. 23-year-old Rodrigo Lindemann is charged with first degree arson for setting the fire early Wednesday morning. According to court documents he admitted to police to setting the fire in hallway and using charcoal lighter fluid and paper to accelerate the fire.
Lindemann and his pregnant wife were taken to the hospital for treatment and he was then interviewed by police. Authorities say the first degree arson charge is because there were people in the building at the time. At the time of the fire call, the Clinton fire department was already battling another house fire and mutual aid was requested from the neighboring communities of Camanche and Fulton, Illinois. No one was injured that fire. The Gateway Area Chapter of the Red Cross assisted the families involved in the fires.