EAST SAINT LOUIS, Ill. (First Alert 4) – A Belleville man pleaded guilty on Monday to setting a fire in a gas station bathroom in Lebanon, Illinois, in 2018.
Carlos A. Rodriguez,33, pleaded guilty to one count of arson of real property used in interstate commerce.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026.
According to court records, Rodriguez visited CC Food Mart in Lebanon on Sept. 10, 2018.
Rodriguez set fire to a plastic freshener mounted to the wall in the men’s restroom and left the store.
Employees and customers noticed smoke and found an active fire in the restroom approximately seven minutes after Rodriguez left.
ATF Fire Research Laboratory mocked up the restroom and conducted multiple experiments to assess the spread of the fire at the time. This helped to eliminate customers who used the restroom that day.
The fire caused approximately $6,000 in damage.
Convictions for arson of real property used in interstate commerce carry a mandatory minimum of five years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, fines up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The ATF led the investigation, with the assistance of the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lebanon Police Department.
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