Woman sentenced to 9 years in Dixon arson plot

DIXON – A 22-year-old Dixon woman was sentenced to 9 years in prison for supplying materials to make three Molotov cocktails that two friends allegedly threw at a house in April.

Jennifer L. Hurd pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit aggravated arson.

The Arsonist Registration Act requires those convicted of arson or attempted arson to register with law enforcement where they live, work or attend school, for 10 years after their release.

Balal Abdelhadi, 19, and Robert Cordle, 20, each are charged with aggravated arson and unlawful use of weapons. They are in Lee County Jail on $250,000 bond each, and each has a pretrial conference next Thursday.

According to police, on April 11, the three devised a plan to pour gasoline on a house in the 1600 block of West Third Street in Dixon, then light it on fire. Cordle allegedly was angry at a man living there who he said had abused his girlfriend.

Hurd gave the two men gloves, hats, rags, bottles and gasoline, filled the bottles with gasoline and provided pieces of clothing to be used as wicks.

The men allegedly threw two bottles at the house and smashed a third on a side porch, then fled on foot.

Two women living at the house told police they saw Hurd and another woman driving past the house about the time the fire started. Police tracked the car to Hurd's house and arrested her and the two men, who were in the attic.

Hurd was on parole at the time of the alleged arson; she served 17 months of a 4-year sentence for burglary and forgery.

In 2006, she was sentenced to 4 years for retail theft in Whiteside County; she completed boot camp and was released. In 2005, she was sentenced to 30 months' probation and 180 days in jail for forgery.

Arsonist Registration Act

The Arsonist Registration Act, signed into law in 2004, requires anyone convicted of arson or attempted arson to register for 10 years with law enforcement agencies where he or she lives, works or goes to school.

If the arsonist is given a prison sentence, he or she will be required to register when paroled.

The information will be forwarded to the Illinois State Police, which will enter the information in the Illinois Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting System. The information then will be available to local law enforcement agencies, fire and arson investigators, the State fire marshal and local fire departments and fire protection districts.

Source: Illinois Government News Network, www.illinois.gov