Deadly Morgan Park House Explosion May Be Arson: Fire Officials
Updated 5 p.m. 9/14/2015
(CBS) -- A man was found dead after a house explosion in Morgan Park, and the Chicago Fire Department says it could be arson.
Neighbors near 108th and Morgan tell CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli that they were jolted awake by a loud explosion early Monday. Firefighters were called to the scene of the brick bungalow at about 12:40 a.m., and the front and side walls of the house were blown out by the force of the blast.
Initially, it seemed that the house was empty. Then firefighters found one man dead and buried in the rubble in the back of the home.
Sources tell CBS 2 that canine units were brought in and hit on several different areas of the home, detecting accelerant. Chicago Fire Media says the explosion was not caused by natural gas.
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Meanwhile, family members of the home owner – they identified him as Tim Lawrence – are trying to determine if he was the person inside.
"He's a really, really good guy," says Patricia Locke, Lawrence's ex-wife. "We don't know for sure that it's him, but, and I pray, I pray, I pray that it's not him."
Neighbor Dwayne Barber, who lives across the street, says he tried to reach Lawrence after the blast and got the owner's voicemail.
"I banged on the door and I banged on the neighbor's door, and the neighbors came out, but his house was totally engulfed," Barber says.
Locke says she's concerned that Lawrence's car is missing. Police are looking for the vehicle, family members say.
It is a 2004 black Buck LeSabre with the license plate V61 7710.
The medical examiner expects to have more information Tuesday about the body found inside the house.
Witnesses describe a pretty chaotic scene.
"I was out walking my dog and then all of a sudden I heard a boom and I turned around and I saw flames shooting out of the house and I had my phone with me so I called 911," said Rev. Eric Roberts Sr.
"It was a big whoosh sound and then it was a boom and the front window, the picture window fell out," said neighbor Dwayne Barber. "Just blew right out."
