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Man sentenced to 15 years for attempted arson in Oak Brook movie theater – Shaw Local

A Chicago man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison after entering a plea of ​​guilty to one count of attempt aggravated arson stemming from an incident at the Oak Brook Center AMC Theater in January 2018.

David Ferguson, 33, appeared in DuPage County Court Tuesday morning in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell who accepted his plea and handed down the sentence.

On July 2, 2018, a DuPage County arrest warrant in the amount of $250,000 was executed against Ferguson while he was being held in the Cook County Jail facing unrelated aggravated arson charges. He has remained in custody since that time, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

In the early evening hours of Jan. 12, 2018, the manager of the AMC Theater was notified by a staff member of a suspicious individual walking around the area of ​​Theater 5. When the manager went to Theater 5, he smelled a strong odor, later determined to be paint thinner, coming from Theater 6. The manager also observed patrons quickly leaving Theater 6, the release stated.

When the manager entered Theater 6, he found Ferguson seated in the theater with a can of paint thinner on his lap. The manager quickly escorted Ferguson out of the theater at which time Ferguson pulled out cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket and attempted to light a cigarette. Ferguson was then escorted off the property.

An investigation into the matter led by the Oak Brook Police Department identified Ferguson as a suspect and found that he had poured paint thinner on the floor of the theater and left paper towels soaked in paint thinner in the theater, according to the release.

“Fortunately, thanks to the alertness of staff and the quick response of the manager at the Oak Brook Center AMC Theater, a possible tragedy was averted,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release.”Thankfully, no fire was ever set , and no one was injured from the chemical fumes.

“During the holiday season, our theaters, restaurants and retail establishments are extremely busy with holiday shoppers and celebrations.Judge O’Connell’s sentence sends the message that in DuPage County we will use any and all resources available to us to protect our businesses and their patrons through this holiday season and throughout the entire year.”

Ferguson will be required to serve 50% of his DuPage County sentence to be served consecutively to a six-year sentence he received out of Cook County. O’Connell ordered that the sentences be served consecutively rather than concurrently based upon the defendant’s threat to public safety.

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