ALTON, ILLINOIS (KMOX) - Metro East law enforcement are searching for a man they consider armed and dangerous after his family home was set on fire around 4 AM Monday with his wife and seven children inside.
The family was rescued by emergency responders, but the house on Alpha Drive is considered a total loss. 34-year-old Andre Darnell Mathis will face charges of aggravated arson, along with counts of child pornography and indecent solicitation of a child when captured.
His bail is already set at $1-million.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office reports police got a frantic call from Mathis' wife saying he was acting erratically and was emotionally distraught. She told them he had a gun. Reports say officers believed the suspect was still inside the house when they arrived, but he managed to escape.
Anyone seeing him or knowing his whereabouts should call 9-1-1 and not approach him.
The case was first believed linked to a house fire a few hours later in Alton where the bodies of two men were found. However, the Major Case Squad later indicated that does not appear to be the case, although it hasn't been entirely ruled out.
© 2020 KMOX (Entercom). All rights reserved.
