A Carol Stream man will spend 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to deliberately setting fire to the home he shared with his estranged wife, using 40 gallons of gasoline and two propane tanks to trigger an explosion that damaged neighboring houses.
Eric Neuman, 52, of the 700 block of Hemlock Lane, entered his guilty plea to felony aggravated arson on Monday, July 7, in DuPage County court. The charge stems from a fire on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, that damaged homes on a residential block in Carol Stream.
DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin called it "an abhorrent case of domestic violence" in a news release following the sentencing.
What happened
Carol Stream police received a call at 4:23 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2025, reporting a fire at the Hemlock Lane home that Neuman's estranged wife had recently left, according to the state's attorney's office.
Police say Neuman placed six containers holding a total of 40 gallons of gasoline throughout the house. He also put two filled propane tanks inside a rental car parked in the attached garage, then tossed a lit flare into the garage before fleeing.
The resulting explosion damaged nearby homes. No residents, neighbors, or first responders were injured, Berlin said.
Arrest and investigation
Neuman was arrested around 10:30 a.m. the same day in Mahomet, about 130 miles south, following a police chase that began in the Bloomington-Normal area.
Investigators later found text messages Neuman sent to his estranged wife on Aug. 2, 2025, more than three weeks before the fire, describing in detail how he planned to flood the house with gasoline, tamper with gas lines, and ignite an explosion. In one message, Neuman wrote that he would "remove gas lines from the oven and dryer, after flooding the house with 15 gallons of gasoline" and "turn the fireplace gas valve on full tilt."
Berlin said no innocent members of the community were injured as a result of Neuman's actions.
Domestic violence resources
Residents who need help can contact Family Shelter Service of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, located at 605 E. Roosevelt Road in Wheaton, at its 24/7 hotline: (630) 469-5650. The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline is available around the clock at 1-877-863-6338.
