July 05, 2025
State | Daily Chronicle
State

Joliet man charged with arson in fire that leveled RoomPlace warehouse

By SHAW MEDIA
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Smoldering, burned out trucks and a pile of charred debris sit at the RoomPlace furniture warehouse April 22 at 2501 Internationale Parkway, Woodridge, a day after the building was devastated by a fire. (Mark Busch)

A Joliet man has been charged with setting the fire that destroyed the RoomPlace furniture warehouse April 21 in Woodridge.

Ruben Antonio Ochoa Cruz, 20, of Joliet, appeared Friday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez. Ochoa Cruz, who worked at the RoomPlace, admitted to igniting a packing slip inside the warehouse after a confrontation with a supervisor, according to court documents.

The fire was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

About 35 area fire agencies responded to the fire at 2501 Internationale Parkway, according to a Lemont Fire Protection District news release.

A fire alarm activated at 5 p.m. April 21 at the building, which at one time was a Harlem Furniture store, the news release stated.

All employees had safely evacuated the building by the time firefighters arrived, according to the news release.

The fire was mostly put out that evening, although firefighters were still on the scene April 22 because some spots were still burning, a representative with the Lemont fire district said.

Lemont Fire Chief George Rimbo said the exact amount of damage is not known, but the cost is estimated to be between $40 million and $60 million.

According to the RoomPlace's website, the Woodridge warehouse was the main distribution center for its 24 showrooms in Illinois and Indiana.

#FiresRoomPlaceFireRuben Antonio Ochoa Cruz