By Rebecca Johnson, Sam Charles
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — Chicago police announced murder charges Friday against an Austin man believed to have set the trash fire that led to the death of Capt. David Meyer, a veteran firefighter known as the “rock” of his family.
First-degree murder and aggravated arson charges were filed against Charles Green, 44. Meanwhile, funeral arrangements have been made for Meyer, who died earlier this week at 54 after battling a suspicious garage fire on the West Side.
In a statement, police said Green was arrested within hours of the fire and identified as the person who set it. Investigators used a network of surveillance footage in the area to track down the suspect, a source said.
Green is expected to appear before a judge Saturday for a detention hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, according to police.
A wake for Meyer is scheduled for Monday at Malec & Sons Funeral Home, 6000 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, according to the Fire Department. A private family visitation is from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a public visitation from 3 to 8 p.m.
Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. John Brebeuf Church, 8305 N. Harlem Ave. in northwest suburban Niles.
About 4 a.m. Wednesday, Meyer responded to a fire that when responders arrived had spread to a garage in the 5500 block of West Crystal Street. The fire was put out, but Meyer was critically injured afterward when the garage collapsed. He was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled the cause of Meyer’s death as “pending” a fire and police investigation.
The Office of Fire Investigation, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, determined the fire was caused by “ignition of contents of a trash bin by human action.”
Cook County court records show the suspect has a registered address in the Austin neighborhood and a criminal record dating back more than 25 years. He’s been arrested more than three dozen times and was previously convicted of robbery and various drug-related charges.
Meyer, a captain of Truck 29, joined the department in 1996 and spent most of his nearly 30-year career on the West Side. He left behind a wife, three daughters, a son and his parents, according to Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt. His family said he was a talented builder and good with his hands, Nance-Holt said.
“Please keep us all in your prayers,” she said earlier this week. “This is unfortunate. It’s one of those things we go to work every day and, you know, we never know if we’re going to come home.”
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