Nov 21, 2008 5:53 am US/Central
Arson Suspected In Naperville Restaurant Fire
Gigi's Pancake House Burned Down Last Month
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Naperville Sun) ―
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An explosion and fire rocked Gigi's Pancake House and Restaurant in Naperville last month, and authorities suspect arson.
CBS
Traces of gasoline or a similar accelerant were found late last month in the ruins of a restaurant on Naperville's far southwest side, following an explosion and fire there that left two men badly burned, according to well-placed sources connected to the case.
One source said gasoline or another highly flammable liquid was found on the premises of Gigi's Restaurant and Pancake House, near the southeast corner of 111th Street and Route 59, just after the Oct. 29 blast. Accelerant was also reportedly found on the skin and clothing of at least one of the injured men, the source said.
A second source said law enforcement officials are "leaning toward" declaring arson as the cause of the late-night blaze and explosion.
Both sources declined to be identified for this report.
Naperville police Cmdr. Dave Hoffman said Thursday there was "no change" in the status of the ongoing probe of the fire.
"I cannot confirm or deny the presence of an accelerant" in the restaurant, Hoffman said. All collected evidence "is still under review" by police investigators, who are also awaiting crime laboratory test results, he said.
Authorities have refused to identify the men injured in the blast. The Naperville Sun learned this week that one of them is Peter Ladias, identified on the Gigi's Web site as the restaurant's "owner and host."
A spokeswoman for Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood confirmed Ladias remained hospitalized there Thursday in serious condition.
The second victim, described only as a younger man, is undergoing treatment in the burn unit of John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, formerly Cook County Hospital, in Chicago. His condition could not be learned Thursday.
Both men suffered serious and critical burns over 40 to 50 percent of their bodies following the explosion.
The force of the blast blew out some of the restaurant's windows and reportedly damaged its foundation and roof. A financial damage estimate was not known.
By Bill Bird / Naperville Sun
(CBS 2, the Naperville Sun and the Aurora Beacon-News are news partners covering stories in the western suburbs. Send story tips to tips@cbs2chicago.com. (© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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