GODFREY, Ill. – Authorities in Madison County are looking for a 34-year-old Godfrey man accused of setting fire to his home while his wife and their children were still inside.
The fire occurred Monday around 4 a.m. The woman who called dispatchers said her husband was acting erratically and emotionally distraught. She said he was also armed.
Deputies arrived and found seven children near the home entryway. The children told deputies there was a fire in the home.
Deputies got the children and the mother out of the home safely. Investigators learned a physical altercation had occurred involving the homeowners. The mother told deputies she didn’t know her husband’s whereabouts.
The home then became engulfed in flames. The fire was eventually extinguished but the home was a total loss.
On Tuesday, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Andre Darnell Mathis with one count of aggravated arson, armed violence, aggravated domestic battery, child pornography, and indecent solicitation of a child. His bond was set at $1 million.
Mathis remains at large and should be considered armed and dangerous. The public is urged to take caution if they see him and to notify authorities of his whereabouts immediately.
