You may recall on June 22, we reported here that someone, at that time unknown, had set fire to the gay book collection in the Chicago Public Library. The woman who did it has now been apprehended by Chicago Police. PAT]
July 26, 2006
FROM STNGWIRE REPORTS
A homeless woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges alleging she set fire to books in the gay/lesbian and African-American sections of a Chicago Public Library facility in the Lakeview neighborhood.
Erica Graham, 21, homeless with a last known address the 3100 block of N. Broadway, pleaded not guilty to one count each of attempted aggravated arson and criminal mutilation of library materials, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin.
A status hearing in the case was slated for Aug. 18 before Criminal Court Associate Judge Dennis J. Porter, Conklin added.
Graham is accused of setting fire to books at the John M. Merlo library branch in June. Prosecutors stated during Graham’s bond hearing last month that she thought a librarian was rude because the librarian wouldn’t allow her to sleep in the library, and because she and her boyfriend were not allowed to be on the same computer at the same time.
Graham -- whose bond was set at $75,000 -- said she did not know the title of the book she set on fire, but went to a section on the second floor because it was in a remote part of the library, prosecutors said.
Library personnel found a small fire on the second floor of the Merlo branch at 644 W. Belmont about noon on June 13, and were able to extinguish it themselves, according to library spokeswoman Maggie Killackey. The fire damaged 90 books in the gay/lesbian section, and 10 books in the African-American section, Killackey said. No one was injured, she added. The library had to be evacuated due to the fire at the time it occurred; but since has been restocked and re-opened.
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