Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:
A 28-year-old former firefighter from Winthrop Harbor, Keith Kauppi, is currently in jail on $1 million bail, facing serious charges of aggravated arson and attempted murder. He is accused of trying to set his 70-year-old aunt, Kathleen Kauppi, up for a series of fires that he himself started in both Winthrop Harbor and Pleasant Prairie.
Kauppi was arrested after confessing to igniting a fire at his aunt’s home in December, as well as another incident in June where she suffered burns ranging from mild to severe. According to authorities, the aunt was recently arrested for an arson in Pleasant Prairie, but those charges were dropped after Kauppi admitted to starting that fire too.
Joel Brumlik, chief of the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, stated that the arsons were part of an attempt by Kauppi to cover up his ongoing fraud. In December, Kauppi had been accused of forging checks from his aunt's bank account, leading to his termination from the Fire Department in February. At the time, his aunt chose not to press charges.
Brumlik explained that the arson incidents were likely an effort by Kauppi to hide his thefts by killing his aunt. Last week, the aunt moved in with her brother, but shortly after, a fire broke out at the house. According to a Pleasant Prairie Police complaint, Kathleen Kauppi was sleeping on a couch when a loud crash woke up her nephew and his parents.
The nephew told investigators he ran downstairs and saw the couch on fire. He claimed he used water to put it out and then helped carry the burned furniture outside. The police report noted that the living room smelled strongly of gasoline. A responding officer confirmed the presence of gasoline on the couch, a burned blanket, and scorched clothing found outside.
Kathleen Kauppi reportedly told officers that she had fallen asleep on the couch and didn’t know how the fire started. She allegedly yelled at her relatives, saying she hadn’t started the fire and would never speak to them again.
According to Brumlik, Kauppi had resumed trying to forge his aunt’s checks this week, which led to his interrogation. After several hours, he confessed to the crimes. Following the confession, he accompanied an investigator back to the scene and revealed where he had stored the gasoline, according to Sgt. Chris Willets of the Winthrop Harbor Police Department.
Thanks, Dan
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