Arsonist With Burned Feet Caught After Crashing Truck: Sheriff

MANHATTAN, IL — A Manhattan man was charged with arson after he was found barefoot with burned feet during a truck crash investigation, the Will County Sheriff's Office said. Anthony Dvorak, 35, has been charged with arson and criminal damage to property, and was also cited for DUI, improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Police say he burned down a pole barn after having a falling out with friends.

At 11:08 p.m. Nov. 8, 2020, deputies were called to the 9500 block of Pauling Road and found a 2017 Chevy Silverado that had hit a utility pole. The driver, identified as Dvorak, was seen in a nearby field and brought back to the scene before he was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, police said.

Dvorak was treated for severe burns on both of his feet, facial bruising, a fractured nose and a cut above his eye, the sheriff's office said. He was charged with DUI and the other driving violations at the hospital, police said.

Deputies spoke with witnesses near the scene who said they saw the accident and saw Dvorak with no shoes and burns on his feet struggling to walk away from the crash, according to police. Deputies found no sign of a fire in or around Dvorak's truck.

The vehicle was towed, and during a later search, a handheld torch and a small lighter were recovered, the sheriff's office said.

At 11 p.m. that same night, residents reported a pole barn on fire in the 11000 block of West Pauling Road. During an interview with police, the homeowners said they had received text message alerts form Green Garden Township about a power outage caused by a nearby accident. They also saw photos from a Facebook community page about a Chevy Silverado involved in the accident, and told police they recognized the vehicle as Dvorak's.

The homeowners told police that they had recently had a falling out with Dvorak, and had cut ties with him regarding their friendship, the sheriff's office said.

The day after the fire, detectives, the Manhattan Fire Department, Illinois State Fire Marshal Kevin Smith, and Illinois Special Agent/K-9 Handler Michael Kuban with K-9 Phantom, met at the scene of the fire, the sheriff's office said. Fire Marshal personnel did a thorough investigation, while Phantom did an open-air sniff of the pole barn.

According to the sheriff's office, Phantom alerted to the probable presence of an ignitable/flammable liquid. Based on the fire marshal report, the fire was started outside the service door and traveled into the pole barn. The combustible substance had an odor like gasoline and was ignited by use of an open flame, police said.

Charred fabric and other debris was collected by police and processed for evidence. The estimated damage to the barn and its contents is $300,000, police said.

After evidence was processed and several search warrants were secured, an arrest warrant for Dvorak was issued on Feb. 11, and bond was set at $250,000. Dvorak turned himself into the Frankfort Police Department on Friday, and has bonded out.