Man accused of St. Clair County home arson faces additional charges
The man accused of setting a Lenzburg home on fire and battering a juvenile now faces additional felony charges.
Raymond J. Generous Jr., 42, was first charged earlier this month in St. Clair County Circuit Court with three felonies — the most serious being aggravated arson, a Class X offense — and two misdemeanors. Prosecutors claim Generous “struck, kicked and fought” his teenage child and set items inside the home where they lived on fire.
On Friday, a grand jury indicted Generous on those charges, plus four additional counts of aggravated arson and one count of criminal damage to property, a Class 3 felony.
The aggravated arson charges relate to injuries firefighters sustained in the line of duty. Initially, charging documents mentioned only a firefighter who injured a knee, but the indictment says three others became dehydrated and needed IV fluids and another suffered an eye injury.
The indictment says another individual owned the house, hence why Generous faces a new charge of criminal damage to property. The monetary damages total over $10,000 but not more than $100,000, the indictment states.
At an earlier pretrial detention hearing relating to the initial charges, St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Judy Dalan said the teenager left the house to seek help after Generous allegedly was screaming and lighting items on fire.
By the time first responders arrived, the house was engulfed in flames, Dalan said.
Dalan said Generous told first responders other people were in the house — which was not true — causing firefighters to run into the burning home.
She said Generous was “verbally abusive” to law enforcement and appeared intoxicated on body-camera footage.
Assistant Public Defender Jordan Blazek-Guinan said Generous’ family — some of whom appeared in court to support him — said his alleged behavior on July 3 was unlike him and that he would not be dangerous if released pending trial.
Blazek-Guinan also said Generous wants to seek mental health and substance abuse evaluations.
Under Associate Judge Sara Rice’s order, Generous remains in custody at the St. Clair County Jail.