Three men are facing felony arson charges after allegedly setting fire to a bar in Beach Park.
Fire heavily damaged the Social Pub on Sheridan Road last Friday morning.
No one was there at the time.
The fire was reported just before 6 a.m.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation included observing surveillance video and conducting interviews.
It says investigators identified a vehicle that was believed to have been involved and it was located in North Chicago, leading to the suspects.
They’re identified as 18-year-old Fernando Mejia, of North Chicago, 36-year-old Fulgencio Benites-Gaspar, of North Chicago, and 21-year-old Estivent Mena-Ferrera, of Waukegan.
The Sheriff’s Office says the 18-year-old and the 36-year-old were removed from the bar by staff several weeks ago.
They were allegedly upset and came up with the plan to burn it down.
Press release:
Three Charged After Intentionally Setting Fire to Beach Park Bar
On July 17, 2026, at approximately 5:55 a.m., Lake County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a structure fire at Social Pub, 37895 North Sheridan Road in Beach Park, which caused catastrophic damage to the building.
Investigators from the Beach Park Fire Department, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, and the Lake County Sheriff's Office determined the fire was suspicious and had been intentionally set.
Sheriff's detectives conducted an extensive investigation that included reviewing surveillance video from multiple locations, collecting evidence, and conducting numerous interviews. During the investigation, detectives identified a suspicious vehicle that was in the area when the fire began. On July 23, 2026, detectives located the vehicle in the 900 block of Broadway Avenue in North Chicago and interviewed two individuals they believed were involved in setting the fire.
Sheriff’s detectives determined Fernando A. Mejia, 18, of the 900 block of Broadway Avenue, North Chicago, Fulgencio Benites-Gaspar, 36, of the same address, and Estivent J. Mena-Ferrera, 21, of the 3000 block of Caryn Lane, Waukegan, were responsible for setting the fire.
Detectives determined Mejia and Benites-Gaspar were upset about being removed from the bar by staff several weeks prior and developed a plan to set the business on fire.
After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the investigation, the Lake County State's Attorney's Office approved three counts of Arson (a Class 2 Felony), one against each defendant. All three remain held in the Lake County Jail pending an initial court hearing.
Sheriff John D. Idleburg said, “I am proud of the outstanding investigative work conducted by our Criminal Investigations Division. This appeared to be a difficult case to solve, but our detectives remained relentless. Their work led to the identification and arrest of those responsible for an incredibly dangerous crime that put firefighters and others at significant risk.”
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office intends to file petitions to detain all three in custody while awaiting trial. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
