Nov 19, 2007 10:27 pm US/Central
Dad, 2 Sons Severely Burned In Likely Arson Case
Police Believe Glendale Heights Man Intentionally Set Blaze In Home's Bathroom
GLENDALE HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) ―
-
-
Kaushik Patel is believed to have set a fire in the bathroom of his family's Glendale Heights home, severely burning himself and his two sons.
CBS
A father and his two sons were severely burned in a west suburban house fire, and now police believe the blaze was intentionally set.
As CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports, a sign on the Glendale Heights house states it's no longer fit for occupancy, 26 hours after a fire severely injured 34-year-old Kaushik Patel and his 7- and 4-year-old boys. But police say this fire was no accident.
"It appears at this point that the fire was set deliberately," said Glendale Heights Police Dept. Chief Michael Marron.
Marron says Patel and his sons were the only ones home at the time and damage was contained to a bathroom. Instead of calling 911, police say Patel drove the boys to his brother's Hanover Park home, and his brother called police.
"I don't know exactly what condition they were in at that time," Marron said. "I do know that they were conscious at the house."
"I was so sad," said Patel's neighbor Daisy Kalapuracka. "I was thinking about the kids playing outside."
Kalapuracka lives next to the Patels, who moved in just last summer. She says Kaushik Patel was very private but his wife and kids are very friendly. She says there were no signs of any problems until last Friday, when she noticed a police car outside their house. She talked to Patel's wife this morning, when she came home to get some clothes, and says she's in shock.
"I ran to the car and I said, 'Nisha what's going on? What's going on in your house?'" Kalauracka said. "And she said, 'There was a fire in my house. My kids are burned so bad; my husband too.' And she had this blank look on her face – I don't think she got it yet."
Police confirm that Patel's wife, Nisha, called them to the house last week. They say no one was home when they got there and Nisha Patel later told them everything was OK.
They still want to talk with Kaushik Patel and don't expect any charges Monday night.
cbs2chicago.com's Most Popular Pages 
Slideshow: The Search For Stacy Peterson Slideshow: People's Sexiest Men Alive Slideshow: '90s TV Stars Then & Now Slideshow: World's Most Bizarre Deaths Slideshow: In To Be Out: Gay Celebrities Slideshow: Did You Know? Stars From Chicago!
(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.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
