WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderTeen Charged with Setting Fires at Harlem High School

Teen Charged with Setting Fires at Harlem High School

By Dave Rivelli

MACHESNEY PARK - A 15-year-old student is in custody, accused of setting two fires at Harlem High School.

The most recent fire cancelled classes Tuesday. Investigators believe the boy broke into the school's science lab around 4:30 a.m., took some chemicals and then set a small fire in the gym bleachers. "You get angry. I woke up angry because its like here we go again," said Harlem School District 122 Superintendent Julie Morris.

When crews from the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department arrived, the fire was already out. Hazmat crews and a contractor helped clean up and secure the area.

Police questioned a 15-year-old boy at the scene. Afterwards he was charged with two counts of arson, burglary and criminal damage to state property in this fire, and the one set last month in the library.

"This involves four students out of 2,500 kids. Parents have to know and the kids have to know, any threat anything at all is taken very, very seriously," said Lt. Rocco Wagner, Winnebago County Sheriff's Department.

Administrators used a variety of ways to communicate with parents since there is no emergency notification system. "We would have to determine what we would use the system for because sending a text message again would be the same as putting it on the internet no school today," said Superintendent Morris.

This is homecoming week for Harlem High School and school officials say all events will go on as scheduled, some with extra security.