ALTON, Ill — A man is on the run and is facing several charges after a fire at an Alton home on Monday.
Andre Darnell Mathis, 34, is facing one count of each of the following: aggravated arson, armed violence, aggravated domestic battery, child pornography and indecent solicitation of a child.
Officials have not expanded on the details of all the charges. Mathis remains at large and police are seeking information from the public on where he may be. Police said the public is urged to use extreme caution if they encounter him and they should not take any action as he is considered armed and dangerous.
According to a release from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, on Feb. 1 around 4 a.m., dispatch reported hearing a disturbance in the background. A frantic woman contacted dispatch from a different number and reported her husband was acting erratic and emotionally distraught. She also said he was armed.
When deputies arrived at the home in the 6500 block of Alpha Drive, they discovered seven children near the doorway of the home who reported a fire inside the home.
Deputies said there was a physical altercation between the woman and suspect. The house then quickly became engulfed in flames, which deputies said appeared to be started intentionally. The house was declared a total loss after the fire.
Mathis’ bond was set at $1 million.
Approximately two hours after the fire on Alpha Drive, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office responded to another fire in the 2300 block of Wedgewood in Godfrey where two people were found dead inside a home. The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated for this incident. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said there is no evidence that the two are connection, but they are seeking information on both incidents.