Geneva man charged with felony arson

GENEVA – A Geneva man was charged with felony arson after he allegedly damaged a neighbor’s vehicle and set it on fire, according to police reports and court records.

Ryan L. Hayes, 39, of the 0-99 block of Brookfield Lane, Geneva, was also charged July 11 with misdemeanor criminal damage to property, according to the charging documents.

The fire damage to the vehicle was in excess of $150 and the property damage was not in excess of $300, according to the charging documents.

Police were called to the 500 block of Bloomfield Circle at 3:35 a.m. July 10 in response to a report of someone damaging vehicles, the police report stated.

“Upon our arrival, we observed the suspect (Hayes, Ryan L.) in the 2800 block (of) Blackberry Drive … standing next to the victim’s … vehicle with the driver’s side door open,” the report stated.

Hayes ran, dropping several items in the front yard of a house in the 1900 block of Blackberry Drive, the report stated.

The items were later identified as a hat that shared a logo on the vehicle, a burned rag and a lighter, the report stated.

The damaged to the vehicle included a broken driver’s side mirror, broken windshield wipers and the vehicle interior was coated with an unknown liquid, the report stated.

“The exterior of the vehicle also contained damage resulting from a fire,” the report stated. “The damage from the fire was in a circular pattern approximately 15-16 inches in diameter and was located on the driver’s side of the truck bed above the gas cap. The bed of the vehicle contained a burned spiral notepad and an empty gas can.”

The owner of the vehicle told police the damage was not there when it was parked, the report stated.

A witness told police they saw the suspect damaging the vehicle, the report stated.

Hayes was arrested after Geneva and St. Charles police found him in the 2000 block of Bricher Road at 4:36 a.m., the report stated.

Hayes’ bond was set at $60,000 and he was released after $6,000 or 10% was posted, records show. The terms of his release include that he have no contact with the victim or the victim’s address in the 2000 block of Blackberry Drive, according to court records.

The most serious charge against Hayes is arson, a Class 2 felony punishable by four to seven years in prison and fines up to $25,000 or probation of up to four years, if convicted.

Hayes is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 9 for the setting of a preliminary hearing.

Hayes’ attorney of record did not return a voice mail message seeking comment.