Police: Man Arrested in Connection With Setting Mom’s Garage on Fire

A Chicago man is behind bars after police said he set fire to his mother’s garage earlier this month in .

said Scott A. Rokita, 41, was arrested Tuesday on charges of residential arson, criminal damage to property, and two counts of unlawful violation of an order of protection.

According to police, the outside of Rokita’s mother’s garage was set on fire with accelerant at about 10 p.m. May 4 in the 500 block of Sharon Way. The Bolingbrook Fire Department responded to the home with an arson investigator.

On May 5, Rokita’s mother told police she received several threatening text messages from an unknown phone number. She called the owner of the phone and the owner did not send the messages, but Rokita was the only one who had access to the phone, according to police. Detectives believed the arson to be connected to the text messages.

Upon further investigation, authorities said they were able to locate an unidentified source who witnessed Rokita starting the fire.

The mother—who has a valid order of protection against Rokita—said her son has a criminal history related to arson, according to police.

A warrant was secured Friday for Rokita, who at one time lived on Sharon Way.

Rokita was located and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Center where his bond was set at $400,000. He remains in custody in lieu of 10 percent—or $40,000—bail.