On May 11, 2019, at approximately 10:00PM, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the area of North Kenosha Road & Green Bay Road, Beach Park, for a report of a vehicle fire.  Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on the scene and found a 2018 Kia Optima on Kenosha Road, fully engulfed in flames.  Deputies found the fire to be suspicious, as they located a melted plastic fuel container near the vehicle.

Winthrop Harbor Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire.  

Sheriff’s Deputies were able to speak to the owner of the vehicle, Leonard H. Peters, Jr., 21, of the 2100 block of Williamsburg Drive, Waukegan.  Peters initially said he believed his vehicle must have been stolen while he was attending a house-party in North Chicago.  He said he had no knowledge of it being on fire.

Sheriff’s Detectives conducted further investigation and later determined Peters intentionally ignited his own car on fire.  Peters claimed he was angered the car would frequently break-down and became upset it ran out of gas while he was driving on Kenosha Road, so he set the car on fire.

Peters was subsequently charged with one count of Arson (Class 2 Felony).  He remains held in the Lake County Jail on $10,000.00 bail.  Peters is next due in court on June 5, 2019, at 1:30PM in courtroom T110. 

Sheriff Idleburg reminds the community all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.