FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Incident Location: 800 block of East Kerr Avenue

Date and Time of Press Release: May 2, 2018 1:00 p.m.
Date and Time of Incident: May 2, 2018 12:40 a.m.

ARREST FOR AGGRAVATED ARSON

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On May 2, 2018 at approximately 12:40 a.m., the Urbana Police Department and Urbana Fire
Department were dispatched to a report of a fire in an apartment building in the 800 block of
East Kerr Avenue. METCAD 911 reported that a fire had been intentionally set in the hallway
just outside of an apartment door.

Officers and firefighters arrived a short time later and found there had been a fire in the hallway
of an apartment building. The fire was located just outside of an apartment door on the 2nd floor.
The fire caused damage to the immediate area, to include lights on the ceiling that had melted
from the heat and damage to the floor. Fire investigators determined the fire was intentionally
set.

Firefighters conducted safety sweeps of all of the apartments within the building for victims.
While doing so they located potential evidence related to the fire, a bottle of charcoal lighter
fluid, just inside of a nearby apartment door. As this was occurring, officers interviewed several
victims and determined that another occupant of the same apartment building had very recently
been in a dispute with victims. The fire had been set just outside of the apartment in which they
were located.

Additional investigative work by patrol officers determined the identity of the sole occupant of
the apartment where the evidence had been discovered. At the request of the Urbana Police
Department, the Rantoul Police Department located the tenant. That subject was arrested and
custody was transferred to the Urbana Police Department. The arrestee was identified as
Travis James Vandiver, a 30-year-old Urbana resident. He was tentatively charged with
aggravated arson and transported to the Champaign County Satellite Jail. Detectives obtained
a search warrant for Vandiver’s apartment and recovered evidence related to the arson
investigation.

The investigation on the incident is ongoing. Anyone with further information is encouraged to
call the Urbana Police Department at 217-384-2320. Callers may remain anonymous by calling
Crime Stoppers at 217-373-TIPS, submit a tip on the Champaign County Crime Stoppers
website (champaigncountycrimestoppers.com), or submit a tip on the free P3 Tips app which if
available in iTunes and Google Play app stores.

As with all cases, the fact that a person has been charged with a crime does not necessarily
indicate guilt and all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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Contact: Lt. Richard Surles, Urbana Police Department, Criminal Investigations Division
City of Urbana, 217-384-2320, surlesrh@urbanaillinois.us