Natalia Chi
Two teenagers pleaded guilty Wednesday to arson charges that caused a massive fire that destroyed much of St. Charles’s Pheasant Run Resort, which closed in May 2022, officials said.
Two boys, aged 17 and 15 from Wheaton, who live in Carroll Stream, will be in the main lobby, Bourbon Street area, A, B, and the E Wing of the Pheasant Run hotel rooms on May 21.. The fire brigade was able to save the 16-story tower on the site.
The boys were initially charged with arson, robbery, vandalism and three counts of trespassing, officials previously said.
Two teenage men, a 15-year-old from Winfield and a 14-year-old from Carol Stream, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor trespassing charges in connection with the incident.
All four teenagers will be sentenced on April 19, an official with the DuPage County State Attorney’s Office said.
The four have been charged as juveniles, so their names will not be released.
The fire broke out around 4:40 pm on May 21, when firefighters found much of the resort at 4051 E. Main Street in St. Charles engulfed in flames.
Over 100 firefighters from over 25 fire departments participated in the firefighting effort. An investigation was then launched by the St. Charles Police and Fire Department, the State Fire Department, and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Office.
Four teenagers were accused of trespassing on the premises, and two of the teens set fire to documents in two places and left the area without extinguishing the fire, officials said. was accused as
The resort closed in March 2020 after an unsuccessful auction attempt for the resort.
On Monday, the St. Charles City Council approved a resolution creating a tax-raising loan district in hopes of spurring redevelopment of the property.
mejones@chicagotribun.com
